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• chow chow
  chow chow

  noun

  one of a Chinese breed of medium-sized dogs having a thick black, blue, red, or cream coat and a blue-black tongue.
• chow-chow
  chow-chow

  noun

  a Chinese mixed fruit preserve.

chow chow

¹ American  

[chou chou] / ˈtʃaʊ ˌtʃaʊ /

noun

(often initial capital letters)

1. one of a Chinese breed of medium-sized dogs having a thick black, blue, red, or cream coat and a blue-black tongue.

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chow-chow ² American  

[chou-chou] / ˈtʃaʊˌtʃaʊ /

noun

1. a Chinese mixed fruit preserve.

2. a relish of chopped mixed pickles in mustard sauce.

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chow-chow British  

noun

1. Often shortened to: chow.  a thick-coated breed of the spitz type of dog with a curled tail and a characteristic blue-black tongue; it came originally from China

2. a Chinese preserve of ginger, orange peel, etc in syrup

3. a mixed vegetable pickle

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Etymology

Origin of chow chow¹

1785–95; said to be < dialectal Chinese; compare Guangdong dial. gáu dog

Origin of chow-chow²

Borrowed into English from Chinese Pidgin English around 1785–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chow chow chow-chow

Kathryn, on the other hand, is filling up her days with a part-time position at the local mall’s J.Crew outlet and taking care of eight chow chow puppies she’s named after Maroon 5 songs.

From Salon ● May 17, 2025

Chelsea, an elderly chow chow, joined us and also appreciated our walks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2021

Both are also closely related to dingoes, and slightly more distantly to other dogs of East Asian origin like the chow chow, Akita, and shiba inu.

From Science Magazine ● Aug. 31, 2020

They are paired with green goddess dressing and glorious chow chow, a hot pickled vegetable relish with a preponderance of cauliflower.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2019

His eyes strayed to the hall, where the languid chow chow was chewing on his newspaper, reducing it to an inky pulp.

From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman

It’s unlikely Thomas Heyward of South Carolina ever ate blackened shrimp, pimento cheese and green tomato chow-chow together, but guess what?

From Washington Post ● Jun. 16, 2016

We'll put the beet salad by the chicken and the cabbage salad by the ham and the chow-chow betwixt 'em.

From Up the Hill and Over by Mackay, Isabel Ecclestone

I make at home in large quantities and according to the best recipes gathered over years of experience, all kinds of pickles and relishes—sweet, sour, dill, chow-chow, piccalilli.

From How to Write Letters (Formerly The Book of Letters) A Complete Guide to Correct Business and Personal Correspondence by Crowther, Mary Owens

“Well, chow-chow, chowri; it’s all the same,” said the big lad impatiently.

From Glyn Severn's Schooldays by Pears, Charles

"Well, don't put any chow-chow mince-meat in your muffins," begged Bunny with a laugh.

From Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue in the Big Woods by Nosworthy, Florence England