chow

[ chou ]

See synonyms for chow on Thesaurus.com

noun

food, especially hearty dishes or a meal.

Verb Phrases

chow down, to eat; eat a meal, especially the main meal of the day: In the army we usually chow down at 6 p.m.

Origin of chow

1855–60, Americanism; short for chow-chow

Words Nearby chow

Other definitions for chow (2 of 3)

chow²

[ chou ]

noun(often initial capital letter)

chow chow.

Origin of chow

Short form

Other definitions for Chow (3 of 3)

Chow

[ chou ]

nounAustralian Disparaging and Offensive.

a contemptuous term used to refer to a Chinese person.

Origin of Chow

First recorded in 1870–75; special use of spelling variant (Chow) of Chou

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use chow in a sentence

I minimize time in crowds and chow halls and take meals to go more often than not.
Dodging Rockets in Afghanistan as the Taliban’s Fighting Season Begins | Nick Willard | May 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
They might, at least, let us chow down on a few Big Macs from time to time without putting on the pounds.
These Diet Lessons From Olympians Will Help You Lose Weight and Look Awesome | Jenna A. Bell | February 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, Ford looks to be facing a formidable challenge from Olivia chow, a well-known left-wing federal politician.
How Rob Ford Could Win Reelection | Ivor Tossell | January 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
I love fried rice (Yeah)/ I love noodles (Yeah)/ I love chow Mein/ chow Mo-Mo-Mo-Mo Mein.
The Most Offensive Lyrics and WTF Moments From ‘Chinese Food’ | Culture Team | October 15, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
The 44-year-old stars in Jason Wu's fall 2013 campaign, photographed at legendary New York restaurant Mr. chow.
Anna Wintour's First Tweet Is About DOMA; Wendy Davis's Red Filibuster Sneakers | The Fashion Beast Team | June 27, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

"Say, this is a cut or two above ship chow," admitted Konnel when the food arrived.
Fee of the Frontier | Horace Brown Fyfe
"Forget it for now, Wade, and get that chow on," suggested Fuller.
Islands of Space | John W Campbell
Fu-chow was the black-tea port of China at that time, and it had been opened just two years before.
My Life in Many States and in Foreign Lands | George Francis Train
He opened and shut his claws as he lay on my lap, and chow-chowed, and pecked at the buttons of my dress.
Our Little Ones and The Nursery, Vol. V, No. 9, July 1885 | Various
And in a few weeks not a rooster in the neighborhood had such a musical, splendid crow as our "chow-chow."
Our Little Ones and The Nursery, Vol. V, No. 9, July 1885 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for chow

chow

/ (tʃaʊ) /

noun

informal food
short for chow-chow (def. 1)

See also chow down

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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