Dip vs. Chew — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 17, 2024
Dip involves placing smokeless tobacco between the lip and gum, while chew involves placing loose tobacco in the mouth, usually between the cheek and gum.
Difference Between Dip and Chew
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Dip, also known as dipping tobacco, is a form of smokeless tobacco that is placed between the lip and gum. Users typically take a small pinch of the finely ground tobacco and position it in their lower lip. Chew, or chewing tobacco, involves placing loose leaf tobacco in the mouth, usually between the cheek and gum. Users take a larger portion of the shredded tobacco and "chew" it, though actual chewing is minimal.
While both dip and chew are forms of smokeless tobacco, the primary difference lies in their form and method of use. Dip is finely ground and placed in the lip, leading to faster nicotine absorption, whereas chew involves larger, shredded leaves placed in the cheek, providing a slower release of nicotine. Dip is generally more discreet due to its smaller size and less noticeable use, while chew often requires more spitting and handling of larger quantities of tobacco.
The health risks associated with both dip and chew are significant, including an increased risk of mouth, throat, and esophageal cancers, gum disease, and tooth decay. Both products deliver nicotine, which is highly addictive, but the mode of delivery and user experience differ considerably between the two.
Comparison Chart
Form
Finely ground tobacco
Shredded, loose leaf tobacco
Placement
Between the lip and gum
Between the cheek and gum
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Method of Use
Pinch placed in lower lip
Larger portion placed in cheek
Nicotine Absorption
Faster absorption
Slower release
Packaging
Small round cans
Pouches, bricks
User Experience
More discreet, less spitting
More handling, frequent spitting
Health Risks
Mouth, throat cancers, gum disease
Mouth, throat cancers, gum disease
Compare with Definitions
Dip
Finely ground smokeless tobacco placed between the lip and gum.
He put a pinch of dip in his lower lip before the game.
Chew
Shredded or loose leaf tobacco placed between the cheek and gum.
He packed a wad of chew in his cheek while working on the farm.
Dip
A form of tobacco that is absorbed through the mouth's tissues.
Dip provides a quick nicotine hit without the need for smoking.
Chew
Sold in pouches, bricks, or twists.
He bought a pouch of chew at the local convenience store.
Dip
A smokeless tobacco product requiring less spitting.
Using dip can be more discreet than chewing tobacco.
Chew
Often requires frequent spitting of tobacco juice.
Using chew can be messy due to the need to spit regularly.
Dip
Known for causing dental and oral health issues.
Long-term use of dip can lead to serious gum disease.
Chew
Associated with significant oral health risks.
Chewing tobacco can increase the risk of mouth and throat cancer.
Dip
To plunge briefly into a liquid, as in order to wet, coat, or saturate.
Chew
To bite and grind with the teeth; masticate.
Dip
To color or dye by immersing
Dip Easter eggs.
Chew
To meditate on; ponder
Chew a problem over.
Dip
To immerse (a sheep or other animal) in a disinfectant solution.
Chew
To make a crushing and grinding motion with the teeth.
Dip
To form (a candle) by repeatedly immersing a wick in melted wax or tallow.
Chew
To cogitate; meditate
Chewed on the difficulties ahead.
Dip
To galvanize or plate (metal) by immersion.
Chew
(Informal) To chew tobacco as a habit.
Dip
To scoop up by plunging the hand or a receptacle below the surface, as of a liquid; ladle
Dip water out of a bucket.
Chew
The act of chewing.
Dip
To lower and raise (a flag) in salute.
Chew
Something held in the mouth and chewed, especially a plug of tobacco.
Dip
To lower or drop (something) suddenly
Dipped my head to avoid the branch.
Chew
To crush with the teeth by repeated closing and opening of the jaws; done to food to soften it and break it down by the action of saliva before it is swallowed.
Make sure to chew thoroughly, and don't talk with your mouth full!
The steak was tough to chew as it had been cooked too long.
Dip
(Slang) To pick the pockets of.
Chew
To grind, tear, or otherwise degrade or demolish something with teeth or as with teeth.
He keeps his feed in steel drums to prevent the mice from chewing holes in the feed-sacks.
The harsh desert wind and sand had chewed the stump into ragged strips of wood.
Dip
To plunge into water or other liquid and come out quickly.
Chew
(informal) To think about something; to ponder; to chew over.
The professor stood at the blackboard, chalk in hand, and chewed the question the student had asked.
Dip
To plunge the hand or a receptacle into liquid or a container, especially so as to take something up or out
I dipped into my pocket for some coins.
Chew
The act of chewing; mastication with the mouth.
I popped the gum into my mouth and gave it a chew.
Dip
To withdraw a small amount from a fund
We dipped into our savings.
Chew
Level of chewiness.better def?
Dip
To drop down or sink out of sight suddenly
The sun dipped below the horizon.
Chew
A small sweet, such as a taffy, that is eaten by chewing.
Phillip purchased a bag of licorice chews at the drugstore.
Dip
To drop suddenly before climbing. Used of an aircraft.
Chew
Chewing tobacco.
The school had banned chew and smokes from the school grounds, even for adults.
Dip
To slope downward; decline
The road dipped.
Chew
A plug or wad of chewing tobacco; chaw or a chaw.
The ballplayers sat on the bench watching the rain, glumly working their chews.
The first time he chewed tobacco, he swallowed his chew and got extremely sick.
Dip
To decline slightly and usually temporarily
Sales dipped after Christmas.
Chew
The condition of something being torn or ground up mechanically.
Dip
(Geology) To lie at an angle to the horizontal plane, as a rock stratum or vein.
Chew
To bite and grind with the teeth; to masticate.
Dip
To read here and there at random; browse
Dipping into Chaucer.
Chew
To ruminate mentally; to meditate on.
He chews revenge, abjuring his offense.
Every beast the parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.
Dip
To investigate a subject superficially; dabble
Dipped into psychology.
Chew
To perform the action of biting and grinding with the teeth; to ruminate; to meditate.
Old politicians chew wisdom past.
Dip
(Slang) To steal by picking pockets.
Chew
That which is chewed; that which is held in the mouth at once; a cud.
Dip
To place a preparation of finely shredded tobacco in one's mouth.
Chew
A wad of something chewable as tobacco
Dip
A brief plunge or immersion, especially a quick swim.
Chew
Biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow
Dip
A liquid into which something is dipped, as for dyeing or disinfecting.
Chew
Chew (food);
He jawed his bubble gum
Chew your food and don't swallow it!
The cows were masticating the grass
Dip
A savory creamy mixture into which crackers, raw vegetables, or other foods may be dipped.
Chew
A form of tobacco that releases nicotine more slowly.
Chewing tobacco provides a longer-lasting nicotine release.
Dip
An amount taken up by dipping.
Dip
A container for dipping.
Dip
A candle made by repeated dipping in tallow or wax.
Dip
A downward slope; a decline.
Dip
A sharp downward course; a drop
A dip in prices.
Dip
(Geology) The downward inclination of a rock stratum or vein in reference to the plane of the horizon.
Dip
(Linguistics) A part of a phrase or sentence that is unstressed or less strongly stressed relative to surrounding words, as the words I and to in I have to go.
Dip
The unstressed portion of a metrical foot.
Dip
Magnetic dip.
Dip
A hollow or depression.
Dip
(Sports) A gymnastic exercise on the parallel bars in which the body is lowered by bending the elbows until the chin reaches the level of the bars and then is raised by straightening the arms.
Dip
(Slang) A pickpocket.
Dip
(Slang) A foolish or stupid person.
Dip
A preparation of finely shredded tobacco, usually placed between the lower lip and gum. Also called snuff.
Dip
A lower section of a road or geological feature.
There is a dip in the road ahead.
Dip
Inclination downward; direction below a horizontal line; slope; pitch.
Dip
The action of dipping or plunging for a moment into a liquid.
Dip
A tank or trough where cattle or sheep are immersed in chemicals to kill parasites.
Dip
A dip stick.
Dip
A swim, usually a short swim to refresh.
I’m going for a dip before breakfast.
Dip
A pickpocket.
Dip
A sauce for dipping.
This onion dip is just scrumptious.
Dip
(geology) The angle from horizontal of a planar geologic surface, such as a fault line.
Dip
(archaic) A dipped candle.
Dip
(dance) A move in many different styles of partner dances, often performed at the end of a dance, in which the follower leans far to the side and is supported by the leader.
Dip
(bodybuilding) A gymnastic or bodybuilding exercise on parallel bars in which the performer, resting on his hands, lets his arms bend and his body sink until his chin is level with the bars, and then raises himself by straightening his arms.
Dip
(turpentine industry) The viscid exudation that is dipped out from incisions in the trees. Virgin dip is the runnings of the first year, yellow dip the runnings of subsequent years.
Dip
(aeronautics) A sudden drop followed by a climb, usually to avoid obstacles or as the result of getting into an airhole.
Dip
(uncountable) The moist form of snuff tobacco.
Dip
The act of missing out on seeing a sought after bird.
Dip
Fried bread.
Dip
A financial asset in decline, seen as an investment opportunity.
Buy the dips
Dip
(informal) A foolish person.
Dip
(informal) A diplomat.
Dip
(transitive) To lower into a liquid.
Dip your biscuit into your tea.
Dip
(intransitive) To immerse oneself; to become plunged in a liquid; to sink.
Dip
(intransitive) (of a value or rate) To decrease slightly.
Dip
(transitive) To lower a light's beam.
Dip your lights as you meet an oncoming car.
Dip
(transitive) To lower (a flag), particularly a national ensign, to a partially hoisted position in order to render or to return a salute. While lowered, the flag is said to be “at the dip.” A flag being carried on a staff may be dipped by leaning it forward at an approximate angle of 45 degrees.
The sailor rushed to the flag hoist to dip the flag in return.
Dip
(transitive) To treat cattle or sheep by immersion in chemical solution.
The farmer is going to dip the cattle today.
Dip
(transitive) To use a dip stick to check oil level in an engine.
Dip
To consume snuff by placing a pinch behind the lip or under the tongue so that the active chemical constituents of the snuff may be absorbed into the system for their narcotic effect.
Dip
(transitive) To immerse for baptism.
Dip
(transitive) To wet, as if by immersing; to moisten.
Dip
(intransitive) To plunge or engage thoroughly in any affair.
Dip
(transitive) To take out, by dipping a dipper, ladle, or other receptacle, into a fluid and removing a part; often with out.
To dip water from a boiler; to dip out water
Dip
(intransitive) To perform the action of plunging a dipper, ladle. etc. into a liquid or soft substance and removing a part.
Dip
(transitive) To engage as a pledge; to mortgage.
Dip
(transitive) To perform (a bow or curtsey) by inclining the body.
Dip
(intransitive) To incline downward from the plane of the horizon.
Strata of rock dip.
Dip
To perform a dip dance move (often phrased with the leader as the subject noun and the follower as the subject noun being dipped)
Dip
To lower the body by bending the knees while keeping the body in an upright position, as in movement to the rhythm of music.
Dip
To leave.
He dipped out of the room so fast.
Dip
To miss out on seeing a sought after bird.
Dip
To plunge or immerse; especially, to put for a moment into a liquid; to insert into a fluid and withdraw again.
The priest shall dip his finger in the blood.
[Wat'ry fowl] now dip their pinions in the briny deep.
While the prime swallow dips his wing.
Dip
To immerse for baptism; to baptize by immersion.
Dip
To wet, as if by immersing; to moisten.
A cold shuddering dewDips me all o'er.
Dip
To plunge or engage thoroughly in any affair.
He was . . . dipt in the rebellion of the Commons.
Dip
To take out, by dipping a dipper, ladle, or other receptacle, into a fluid and removing a part; - often with out; as, to dip water from a boiler; to dip out water.
Dip
To engage as a pledge; to mortgage.
Live on the use and never dip thy lands.
Dip
To immerse one's self; to become plunged in a liquid; to sink.
The sun's rim dips; the stars rush out.
Dip
To perform the action of plunging some receptacle, as a dipper, ladle. etc.; into a liquid or a soft substance and removing a part.
Whoever dips too deep will find death in the pot.
Dip
To pierce; to penetrate; - followed by in or into.
When I dipt into the future.
Dip
To enter slightly or cursorily; to engage one's self desultorily or by the way; to partake limitedly; - followed by in or into.
Dip
To incline downward from the plane of the horizon; as, strata of rock dip.
Dip
To dip snuff.
Dip
The action of dipping or plunging for a moment into a liquid.
Dip
Inclination downward; direction below a horizontal line; slope; pitch.
Dip
A hollow or depression in a surface, especially in the ground.
Dip
A liquid, as a sauce or gravy, served at table with a ladle or spoon.
Dip
A dipped candle.
Dip
A gymnastic exercise on the parallel bars in which the performer, resting on his hands, lets his arms bend and his body sink until his chin is level with the bars, and then raises himself by straightening his arms.
Dip
In the turpentine industry, the viscid exudation, which is dipped out from incisions in the trees; as, virgin dip (the runnings of the first year), yellow dip (the runnings of subsequent years).
Dip
A sudden drop followed by a climb, usually to avoid obstacles or as the result of getting into an airhole.
Dip
A liquid, in which objects are soaked by dipping; e.g., a parasiticide or insecticide solution into which animals are dipped (see sheep-dip).
Dip
A sauce into which foods are dipped to enhance the flavor; e. g., an onion dip made from sour cream and dried onions, into which potato chips are dipped.
Dip
A pickpocket.
Dip
A depression in an otherwise level surface;
There was a dip in the road
Dip
(physics) the angle that a magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon
Dip
A thief who steals from the pockets or purses of others in public places
Dip
Tasty mixture or liquid into which bite-sized foods are dipped
Dip
A brief immersion
Dip
A sudden sharp decrease in some quantity;
A drop of 57 points on the Dow Jones index
There was a drop in pressure in the pulmonary artery
A dip in prices
When that became known the price of their stock went into free fall
Dip
A candle that is made by repeated dipping in a pool of wax or tallow
Dip
A brief swim in water
Dip
A gymnastic exercise on the parallel bars in which the body is lowered and raised by bending and straightening the arms
Dip
Immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate;
Dip the garment into the cleaning solution
Dip the brush into the paint
Dip
Dip into a liquid while eating;
She dunked the piece of bread in the sauce
Dip
Go down momentarily;
Prices dipped
Dip
Stain an object by immersing it in a liquid
Dip
Switch (a car's headlights) from a higher to a lower beam
Dip
Lower briefly;
She dipped her knee
Dip
Appear to move downward;
The sun dipped below the horizon
The setting sun sank below the tree line
Dip
Slope downwards;
Our property dips towards the river
Dip
Dip into a liquid;
He dipped into the pool
Dip
Of candles; by dipping the wick into hot, liquid wax
Dip
Immerse in a disinfectant solution;
Dip the sheep
Dip
Scoop up by plunging one's hand or a ladle below the surface;
Dip water out of a container
Dip
Sold in small, round cans.
He carried a can of dip in his back pocket.
Common Curiosities
What is dip?
Dip is a form of smokeless tobacco placed between the lip and gum, where nicotine is absorbed through the mouth tissues.
How is dip used?
A pinch of finely ground tobacco is placed in the lower lip and left there to release nicotine.
Which has faster nicotine absorption, dip or chew?
Dip generally has faster nicotine absorption compared to chew.
What is chew?
Chew is loose leaf tobacco placed between the cheek and gum, typically requiring spitting of the tobacco juices.
What are the health risks of chew?
Health risks of chew include mouth and throat cancers, gum disease, and tooth decay.
What are the health risks of dip?
Health risks of dip include mouth and throat cancers, gum disease, and tooth decay.
Does using dip require spitting?
Dip generally requires less spitting compared to chew.
How is chew packaged?
Chew is typically sold in pouches, bricks, or twists.
How is chew used?
A larger portion of shredded tobacco is placed in the cheek, and the user occasionally chews and spits out the juices.
Can both dip and chew lead to addiction?
Yes, both contain nicotine, which is highly addictive.
Is dip more discreet than chew?
Yes, dip is typically more discreet because it requires less handling and spitting.
Are there any differences in the health impacts of dip and chew?
While both have similar health risks, the mode of use and specific areas affected in the mouth may vary slightly.
Which is more common, dip or chew?
Dip is more commonly used in some regions, while chew may be preferred in others, depending on local traditions and preferences.
How is dip packaged?
Dip is usually sold in small, round cans.
Does using chew require spitting?
Yes, chew often requires frequent spitting of tobacco juices.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
