Dictionary
hew
Pronunciation: (hyOO or, often, yOO), [key]
—v., hewed, hewed or hewn, hew•ing.
—
v.t.
1. to strike forcibly with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument; chop; hack.
2. to make, shape, smooth, etc., with cutting blows:
to hew a passage through the crowd; to hew a statue from marble.
3. to sever (a part) from a whole by means of cutting blows (usually fol. by
away, off, out, from, etc.):
to hew branches from the tree.
4. to cut down; fell:
to hew wood; trees hewed down by the storm.
—
v.i.
1. to strike with cutting blows; cut:
He hewed more vigorously each time.
2. to uphold, follow closely, or conform (usually fol. by
to):
to hew to the tenets of one's political party. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.