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Chew vs Spit - What's the difference?

chew | spit |

As verbs the difference between chew and spit

is that chew is to crush with the teeth by repeated closing and opening of the jaws; done to food to soften it and break it down by the action of saliva before it is swallowed while spit is to impale on a spit or spit can be (transitive) to evacuate (saliva or another substance) from the mouth.

As nouns the difference between chew and spit

is that chew is a small sweet, such as a taffy, that is eaten by chewing while spit is a rod on which meat is grilled (uk english) or broiled (us english) or spit can be (uncountable) saliva]], especially when [[expectorate|expectorated.

chew

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To crush with the teeth by repeated closing and opening of the jaws; done to food to soften it and break it down by the action of saliva before it is swallowed.
  • Make sure to chew thoroughly, and don't talk with your mouth full!
    The steak was tough to chew as it had been cooked too long.
  • To grind, tear, or otherwise degrade or demolish something with teeth or as with teeth.
  • He keep his feed in steel drums to prevent the mice from chewing holes in the feed-sacks.
    The harsh desert wind and sand had chewed the stump into ragged strips of wood.
  • (informal) To think about something; to ponder; to chew over.
  • The professor stood at the blackboard, chalk in hand, and chewed the question the student had asked.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • Old politicians chew wisdom past.
  • * Prior
  • He chews revenge, abjuring his offense.

    Synonyms

    * (crush food with teeth prior to swallowing) bite, chavel, chomp, crunch, masticate * (degrade or demolish as if with teeth) grind, pulverize, rip, shred, tear * (think about) contemplate, ruminate, mull, muse, ponder * See also

    Derived terms

    * chewing gum * chew out * chew over * chew the cud * chew the fat * chew the scenery * chew up * chewy

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small sweet, such as a taffy, that is eaten by chewing.
  • Phillip purchased a bag of licorice chews at the drugstore.
  • (informal, uncountable) Chewing tobacco.
  • The school had banned chew and smokes from the school grounds, even for adults.
  • (countable, or, uncountable) A plug or wad of chewing tobacco; chaw or a chaw.
  • ''The ballplayers sat on the bench watching the rain, glumly working their chews .
    The first time he chewed tobacco, he swallowed his chew and got extremely sick.

    Derived terms

    * chew toy * penny chew

    spit

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) spitu , from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A rod on which meat is grilled (UK English) or broiled (US English).
  • A narrow, pointed, usually sandy peninsula.
  • * 1881 , :
  • Or perhaps he may see a group of washerwomen relieved, on a spit of shingle, against the blue sea [..]
  • The depth to which a spade goes in digging; a spade; a spadeful.
  • (Halliwell)

    Verb

    (spitt)
  • To impale on a spit.
  • to spit a loin of veal
  • * Shakespeare
  • infants spitted upon pikes
  • To attend to a spit; to use a spit.
  • She's spitting in the kitchen.
  • To spade; to dig.
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) spittan, from (etyl) (compare Danish spytte, Swedish spotta), from (etyl) Ayto, John, Dictionary of Word Origins , Arcade Publishing, New York, 1990, of imitiative origin (see spew) spew], [[w:Online Etymology Dictionary, Online Etymology Dictionary], Douglas Harper

    Verb

  • (transitive) To evacuate (saliva or another substance) from the mouth.
  • Don't spit on the street.
    The teacher told her to spit out her bubble gum.
  • * 1994 , (Stephen Fry), (The Hippopotamus) Chapter 2
  • At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. Disgusted with himself at such cowardice, he spat a needle from his mouth, stepped back from the tree and listened. There were no sounds of any movement upstairs: no shouts, no sleepy grumbles, only a gentle tinkle from the decorations as the tree had recovered from the collision.
  • To rain or snow slightly, or with sprinkles.
  • * Charles Dickens
  • It had been spitting with rain.
  • To utter violently.
  • * 1915 , , Shadows of Flames , page 240 [http://books.google.com/books?id=-9AcAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA240&dq=spat]:
  • "Why, you little emasculated Don Juan— You—" he spat an unmentionable name— "d'you think I'd fight one of your tin-soldier farces with you? Clear out!"
  • * 2004 , edition, ISBN 0743483790, chapter 3, page 23 [http://books.google.com/books?id=d9F9MUiOQD4C&pg=PA23&dq=spat]:
  • "Gentleman? You?" he spat .
  • (transitive, slang, hip-hop) To utter.
  • * 2005 , Giselle Zado Wasfie, So Fly
  • A group of black guys were spitting rhymes in the corner, slapping hands and egging one another on.
    Usage notes
    * Spit'' as the past form is common only in the US, while ''spat is common everywhere.
    Synonyms
    * expectorate
    Derived terms
    * spit it out * spit nails * spitting chips * spitting distance

    Noun

  • (uncountable) Saliva]], especially when [[expectorate, expectorated.
  • There was spit all over the washbasin.
  • (countable) An instance of spitting.
  • Synonyms
    * expectoration, saliva
    Derived terms
    * spitball * spit-cup * spitshine * spittoon * spit wad

    Anagrams

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