mâcher

Senses

1. 1.

   to chew

   to bite and grind food with the teeth

2. 2.

   to chew over; to mull over

   to think about something repeatedly or obsessively

3. 3.

   to do (someone's) work for them

   to facilitate or simplify (someone's) task; used in the phrase 'mâcher le travail'

Examples

• "Elle mâche lentement sa nourriture."

  She chews her food slowly.

• "Il mâche de la gomme toute la journée."

  He chews gum all day long.

• "Ne pas lui mâcher le travail - il doit apprendre à se débrouiller."

  Don't do his work for him-he needs to learn to fend for himself.

Usage

Common, everyday verb. The figurative sense "to mull over" often appears in phrases like "mâcher une idée" or "mâcher du noir" (to brood). The idiom "mâcher le travail/la besogne" means to make someone's task easier or to spoon-feed information.