pew

noun

1. One of the long benches in a church, seating several persons, usually fixed to the floor and facing the chancel.

   “In many churches some pews are reserved for either clerical or liturgical officials such as canons, or for prominent families.”

   “No, we can't have alphabetical seating in the abbey. You'd have Iraq and Iran next to each other (laugh track)... Plus Israel and Jordan all sitting in the same pew (laugh track)! We'd be in danger of starting World War III (laugh track)!”

   “The pews are filling up, notably with young people, Gen Z's attendance at church has quadrupled in recent years—from a small base, but the significance lies more in the direction of travel.”

2. (broadly, in-plural)The congregation of a church.

   “I think a lot of Americans are actually searching for a church that’s relatively apolitical in the pulpit and the pews.”

3. An enclosed compartment in a church which provides seating for a group of people, often a prominent family.

   “At St. Patrick’s Cathedral, firefighters in dress blues and white gloves escorted families to the pews for a memorial service, led by Mr. Bloomberg, to honor the 343 Fire Department employees killed on 9/11.”

4. Any structure shaped like a church pew, such as a stall, formerly used by money lenders, etc.; a box in a theatre; or a pen or sheepfold.

   “[H]e, a lollard indeed over his elbovv-cuſhion, in almoſt the ſeaventh part of 40. or 50. years teaches them ſcarce half the principles of religion; and his ſheep oft-times ſit the vvhile to as little purpoſe of benifiting as the ſheep in thir pues at Smithfield; […]”

   “my wife and I […]did get into the play, the only one we have seen this winter: it was “The Five Hours’ Adventure:” but I sat so far I could not hear well, nor was there any pretty woman that I did see, but my wife, who sat in my Lady Fox’s pew with her.”

5. (colloquial, humorous)A chair; a seat.

   “Pull up a pew.”

   “Victor Crabbe's headmaster was a little man called Boothby […] who subscribed to a popular book club and had many long-playing records, who invited people to curry tiffin and said, "Take a pew."”

6. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of pink-eyed white (mouse or rat).

verb

1. To furnish with pews.

   “building a gallery and altering the pewing in the church at Catherington”

intj

1. An expression of disgust in response to an unpleasant odor.
2. (childish)Representative of the sound made by the firing of a gun, particularly a blaster in science fiction.

name

1. A surname from Welsh.