chow mein

American  

[chou meyn] / ˌtʃaʊ ˈmeɪn /

noun

1. a Chinese-style dish of steamed or stir-fried vegetables, topped with shredded chicken, shrimp, etc., and served with fried noodles.

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chow mein British  

/ meɪn /

noun

1. a Chinese-American dish, consisting of mushrooms, meat, shrimps, etc, served with fried noodles

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Etymology

Origin of chow mein

1900–05, < Chinese chǎo fry + miàn noodles, or < cognate dial. forms

Example Sentences

To tell that complicated story, Hethington depends on dishes like Guyanese chow mein and Trini-Chinese chicken.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

From kung pao chicken and chow mein to fresh, hot cinnamon rolls and salted pretzels, the food court was sure to satisfy whatever craving your heart desired.

From Salon • Aug. 26, 2023

Large parties fortify their brunch with one of the “kitchen special” noodles from chow mein to Singapore-style vermicelli.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 10, 2022

And because customers liked to have other kinds of Asian food with their seafood soup, they added Chinese American classics like chow mein, beef broccoli, orange chicken and egg rolls.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2022

When he sits down at the kitchen table and starts attacking his chow mein, I say, “Don’t they feed you at work?”

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King