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noun B2 Upper-Intermediate Uncommon

stew

styoo

Stew (noun) means a dish of meat and vegetables cooked slowly together in liquid. Example: “She made a hearty beef stew for dinner.”

noun
1
A dish of meat and vegetables cooked slowly together in liquid.
"She made a hearty beef stew for dinner."
"The stew simmered on the stove all afternoon."
verb
1
To cook food slowly in liquid over low heat.
"Stew the apples with a little sugar and cinnamon."
2
To worry or fret anxiously about something.
"He spent the whole weekend stewing over the argument."

How to use stew

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA slow-cooked dish, the act of cooking that way, or (informally) dwelling anxiously on a problem.

Common pairings
beef stew stew in his own juice let it stew

Word forms

stewed past tense, stews plural, stews plural, stews singular

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Test yourself on “stew” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She made a hearty beef _____ for dinner.

Etymology

From Old French estuve, meaning a bathhouse or steam room, later shifted to mean slow cooking.

Origin: Old French

casserole hotpot

Related words

Frequently asked questions

What does “stew” mean?

The word “stew” means a dish of meat and vegetables cooked slowly together in liquid. In plain terms, a slow-cooked dish, the act of cooking that way, or (informally) dwelling anxiously on a problem.

How do you pronounce “stew”?

“Stew” is pronounced styoo (/stu/ in IPA).

How do you use “stew” in a sentence?

Here is “stew” used in a sentence: “She made a hearty beef stew for dinner.”

What is another word for “stew”?

Words with a similar meaning to “stew” include casserole and hotpot.

What part of speech is “stew”?

Depending on how it is used, “stew” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “stew” come from?

The word “stew” comes from Old French. From Old French estuve, meaning a bathhouse or steam room, later shifted to mean slow cooking.

Is “stew” a common word?

“Stew” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

How many meanings does “stew” have?

“Stew” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a dish of meat and vegetables cooked slowly together in liquid.

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