What does chewing mean?

Definitions for chewing
chew·ing

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word chewing.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. chew, chewing, mastication, manductionnoun

    biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow

Wikipedia

  1. Chewing

    Chewing or mastication is the process by which food is crushed and ground by teeth. It is the first step of digestion, and it increases the surface area of foods to allow a more efficient break down by enzymes. During the mastication process, the food is positioned by the cheek and tongue between the teeth for grinding. The muscles of mastication move the jaws to bring the teeth into intermittent contact, repeatedly occluding and opening. As chewing continues, the food is made softer and warmer, and the enzymes in saliva begin to break down carbohydrates in the food. After chewing, the food (now called a bolus) is swallowed. It enters the esophagus and via peristalsis continues on to the stomach, where the next step of digestion occurs. Increasing the number of chews per bite increases relevant gut hormones. Studies suggest that chewing may decrease self-reported hunger and food intake. Chewing gum has been around for many centuries; there is evidence that northern Europeans chewed birch bark tar 9,000 years ago. Chewing, needing specialized teeth, is mostly a mammalian adaptation that appeared in early Synapsids, though some later herbivorous dinosaurs, since extinct, had developed chewing too. Nowadays, only mammals chew in the strict sense of the word, though some fishes have a somewhat similar behavior. Neither birds, nor amphibians or any living reptiles chew. Premastication is sometimes performed by human parents for infants who are unable to do so for themselves. The food is masticated in the mouth of the parent into a bolus and then transferred to the infant for consumption. (Some other animals also premasticate.) Cattle and some other animals, called ruminants, chew food more than once to extract more nutrients. After the first round of chewing, this food is called cud. Chewing is important and beneficial for overall health. If food is not chewed correctly it can cause choking and other digestive problems.

ChatGPT

  1. chewing

    Chewing is the process of using teeth to break down food by cutting, grinding, or tearing it into smaller, more manageable pieces, which makes digestion easier. This action is typically accompanied by the secretion of saliva which aids in softening and further decomposing the food for swallowing. It is the first step in the human digestion process.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Chewing

    of Chew

Editors Contribution

  1. chewing

    The act and process of to chew.

    She was chewing her food to ensure it was easily digested.


    Submitted by MaryC on January 2, 2017  

How to pronounce chewing?

How to say chewing in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of chewing in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of chewing in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of chewing in a Sentence

  1. Richard Craig:

    It's an extremely negative reaction, such as annoyance or disgust, mostly to specific sounds such as chewing, clicking, tapping and whispering, there is a tendency for people who experience synesthesia and misophonia to also experience Super Bowl ASMR, so there is some overlap here.

  2. Frank Lloyd Wright:

    TV is chewing gum for the eyes.

  3. Irene Zoppi:

    Instead of grasping the breast and the nipple, the baby could be using a chewing-like motion.

  4. Yahya Hatemi:

    They sleep until noon and then start chewing khat, and then they get moving.

  5. Frank Lloyd Wright:

    TV -- chewing gum for the eyes.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

chewing#10000#20713#100000

Translations for chewing

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for chewing »

Translation

Find a translation for the chewing definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"chewing." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/chewing>.

Discuss these chewing definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for chewing? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    chewing

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    a state of dishonor
    A arborolatry
    B hypernym
    C ignominy
    D jab

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for chewing: