stew

¹

[ stoo, styoo ]

verb (used with object)

1. to cook (food) by simmering or slow boiling.

verb (used without object)

1. to undergo cooking by simmering or slow boiling.
2. Informal. to fret, worry, or fuss:

   He stewed about his chaotic state of affairs all day.

3. to feel uncomfortable due to a hot, humid, stuffy atmosphere, as in a closed room; swelter.

noun

1. a preparation of meat, fish, or other food cooked by stewing, especially a mixture of meat and vegetables.

   Synonyms: ragout, casserole

2. Informal. a state of agitation, uneasiness, or worry.
3. a brothel; whorehouse.
4. stews, a neighborhood occupied chiefly by brothels.
5. Obsolete. a vessel for boiling or stewing.

stew

²

[ stoo, styoo ]

noun

, Slang.

1. a male or female flight attendant.

stew

¹

/ stjuː /

noun

1. 1. a dish of meat, fish, or other food, cooked by stewing
   2. ( as modifier )

      stew pot

2. informal.
   a difficult or worrying situation or a troubled state (esp in the phrase in a stew )
3. a heterogeneous mixture

   a stew of people of every race

4. archaic.
   usually plural a brothel
5. obsolete.
   a public room for hot steam baths

verb

1. to cook or cause to cook by long slow simmering
2. informal.
   intr to be troubled or agitated
3. informal.
   intr to be oppressed with heat or crowding
4. to cause (tea) to become bitter or (of tea) to become bitter through infusing for too long
5. stew in one's own juice
   to suffer unaided the consequences of one's actions

stew

²

/ stjuː /

noun

1. a fishpond or fishtank
2. an artificial oyster bed

Other Words From

• stewa·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stew¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English steuen, stuwe “to take a sweat bath,” from Middle French estuver, verbal derivative of estuve “sweat room of a bath”; stove ¹

Origin of stew²

An Americanism dating back to 1970–1975; shortening of steward ( def ) or stewardess ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of stew¹

C14 stuen to take a very hot bath, from Old French estuver, from Vulgar Latin extūfāre (unattested), from ex- ¹+ (unattested) tūfus vapour, from Greek tuphos

Origin of stew²

C14: from Old French estui, from estoier to shut up, confine, ultimately from Latin studium study

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. stew in one's own juice, to suffer the consequences of one's own actions.

More idioms and phrases containing stew

In addition to the idiom beginning with stew , also see in a stew .

Synonym Study

See boil ¹.

Example Sentences

Such was the scarcity that one of the beloved staples was a stew made from leftover military rations discarded by U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

“There would be boozy rows aplenty — some in front of other couples — or long silent stews of resentment or recrimination or shame,” wrote Zehme.

From Salon

For a little while on Monday, he did not say yes to any of the jobs he was offered, stewing over whether they were appealing, senior enough or might box him in too much politically.

From BBC

But Schofield and his friends weren’t stewing or scanning the latest polling averages on Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times

“Either it’s Donald Trump, sitting in there, stewing, stewing over his enemies list; or me, with your help, working for you, checking off my to-do list,” Harris said at a recent rally.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• boil
• fret
• fume
• seethe
• simmer