stew Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun agitation resulting from active worry
    swither; sweat; lather; fret.
    • don't get in a stew
    • he's in a sweat about exams
  2. noun food prepared by stewing especially meat or fish with vegetables
  3. verb be in a huff; be silent or sullen
    brood; grizzle.
  4. verb bear a grudge; harbor ill feelings
    grudge.
  5. verb cook slowly and for a long time in liquid
    • Stew the vegetables in wine

WordNet

Stew noun
Etymology
Cf. Stow.
Definitions
  1. A small pond or pool where fish are kept for the table; a vivarium. Obs. or Prov. Eng. Chaucer. Evelyn.
  2. An artificial bed of oysters. Local, U.S.
Stew transitive verb
Etymology
OE. stuven, OF. estuver, F. étuver, fr. OF. estuve, F. étuve, a sweating house, a room heated for a bath; probably of Teutonic origin, and akin to E. stove. See Stove, and cf. Stive to stew.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Stewed ; present participle & verbal noun Stewing
Definitions
  1. To boil slowly, or with the simmering or moderate heat; to seethe; to cook in a little liquid, over a gentle fire, without boiling; as, to stew meat; to stew oysters; to stew apples.
Stew intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To be seethed or cooked in a slow, gentle manner, or in heat and moisture.
Stew noun
Etymology
OE. stue, stuwe, OF. estuve. See Stew, v. t.
Definitions
  1. A place of stewing or seething; a place where hot bathes are furnished; a hothouse. Obs.
    As burning Ætna from his boiling stew Doth belch out flames. Spenser.
    The Lydians were inhibited by Cyrus to use any armor, and give themselves to baths and stews. Abp. Abbot.
  2. A brothel; -- usually in the plural. Bacon. South.
    There be that hate harlots, and never were at the stews. Aschman.
  3. A prostitute. Obs. Sir A. Weldon.
  4. A dish prepared by stewing; as, a stewof pigeons.
  5. A state of agitating excitement; a state of worry; confusion; as, to be in a stew. Colloq.

Webster 1913