pl. ceówaþ; p. ceáw, pl. cuwon; pp. cowen To CHEW, gnaw, eat, consume; ruminare, manducare :-- He hét hine ceówan mid tóþum his fingras he commanded him to gnaw his fingers with his teeth, Homl. Th. ii. 510, 34. Ongunnon ða næddran to ceówenne heora flǽsc and heora blód súcan the serpents began to chew their flesh and suck their blood, ii. 488, 34, 27. Ðæt híg eton ða nýtenu ðe hira clawe todǽlede beóþ and ceówaþ omne quod habet divisam ungulam, et ruminat in pecoribus, comedetis, Lethey chewed their own girdles, and ate grass, Ælfc. T. 42, 9: Homl. Th. i. 404, 5. Ðec sculon mold-wyrmas monige ceówan many mould-warms shall consume [chew, eat] thee; Exon. 99a; Th. 371, 8; Seel. 72. [Chauc. chewe: Orm. chewwenn: Scot. chaw, chow: Plat. kaujen, kauwen, kawwen: Dut. kaauwen: Kil. kauwen, kouwen, kuwen: Ger. käuen, kauen: M. H. Ger. kiuwen: O. H. Ger. kiuwan: Dan. tygge: Swed. tugga: Icel. tyggja, tyggya.] DER. be-ceówan, for-, to-. ceowan