Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Cooked slowly in liquid: The primary meaning refers to food, especially meat or fruit, that has been cooked slowly in a closed container with a small amount of liquid.
   • Intoxicated, drunk: (Informal, chiefly British) A slang term describing a state of being drunk or intoxicated by alcohol.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective (Cooked):

  • The stewed beef was so tender it fell apart with a fork.
  • For dessert, we had stewed apples with cinnamon.
  • She prefers stewed tomatoes to raw ones in her recipes.

• Adjective (Intoxicated - Informal):

  • After five pints, he was completely stewed and couldn't walk straight.
  • They got absolutely stewed at the office party last night.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "Stewed to the gills": An emphatic informal idiom meaning extremely drunk.
  • He came home stewed to the gills after the celebration.
• The culinary term often implies a specific result: food that is tender, flavorful, and immersed in its own cooking juices or gravy.

Variants and Related Words

• Stew (verb/noun): The action of cooking food in this way or the dish itself.
  • Verb: She will stew the chicken for dinner.
  • Noun: He made a hearty beef stew.
• Stewing (gerund/noun): The process of cooking by stewing.
  • Stewing is an excellent method for tougher cuts of meat.

Synonyms

• Cooked meaning: Braised, simmered, fricasseed.
• Intoxicated meaning: Drunk, inebriated, intoxicated, plastered (slang), sloshed (slang).

Notes

• The culinary use is standard and neutral. The slang use for intoxication is informal and may be considered vulgar in some contexts.
• The adjective typically follows the verb "to be" (e.g., ) or comes before a noun (e.g., ).

Adjective

1. cooked in hot water