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cud

cud

1 8.4
A small wad of tobacco that people keep in the mouth and chew
  • noun
  • /kʌd/
  • Archaic
translation icon : masticar
  • He raked a large cud of tobacco out of his cheek with his forefinger and spat.
  • chewing cud

Examples

  • What is in the cud you've been chewing?

  • I swallowed my cud..

  • The words "cash cow" nestled in the side of her mouth like a cud.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • When you quit chewing the cud with that ass boil back there, I'm gonna hang him.

  • What is in the cud you've been chewin'?

  • "Like you're chewing a cud.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Things have now gotten so bad they've taken to chewing each other's cud.

    Blog text (30)
  • He raked a large cud of tobacco out of his cheek with his forefinger and spat.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I'd like to try chewing some of this cud sometime.

Synonyms

chew
vscud
  • Informal
24 6.4

A small piece of tobacco or gum kept in the mouth to bite

has identical sense and is used the same way
wad
vscud
16 3.2

A small soft lump of material pressed together

is specific to pieces kept and worked in the mouth repeatedly
plug
vscud
  • Archaic
9 9.9

A small piece of chewing tobacco pressed into a shape to chew

is usually less formed and may be a loose piece rather than pressed
chaw
vscud
  • Archaic
4 9.9

A small piece of tobacco or gum that you put in your cheek to chew

matches this sense but is the general term for such pieces
quid
vscud
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small lump of tobacco you chew and keep in your mouth

is broader covering such masses not only small or shaped ones

Idioms

to chew the cud
  • Informal
7.7

To talk in a relaxed way about old times

Surface Forms

cud singular
cuds plural

Etymology

Cud in the sense of a wad of tobacco or leaves is a simple extension of the animal meaning: a helpful way to remember it is to think of a small 'wad' you hold and chew, like an animal's cud, which is why people used the same word for a chewable piece of tobacco.