Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "stew" []

  • To cook (food) by simmering or boiling slowly. (verb-transitive)
  • To undergo cooking by boiling slowly or simmering. See Synonyms at boil1. (verb-intransitive)
  • Informal To suffer with oppressive heat or stuffy confinement; swelter. (verb-intransitive)
  • Informal To be in a state of anxiety or agitation. See Synonyms at brood. (verb-intransitive)
  • A dish cooked by stewing, especially a mixture of meat or fish and vegetables with stock. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "stew" in a sentence
  • "They stew them, colonel, actually _stew beefsteaks_!"
  • "Even so, the term stew doesn't adequately describe its texture, so thick yet not at all gelatinous."
  • "This stew is the basic meal of the region, consumed as fiesta or daily fare."