chow down

British  

verb

1. informal to eat heartily

---

chow down Idioms  

1. Eat, as in He's always ready to chow down at dinner time. Originally military slang, this term is now more widely used. The noun chow in the sense of food, originating from either Chinese or pidgin English in the 18th century, also appears in such terms as chow line, a line of people waiting for food, and chow time, mealtime. [Slang; mid-1900s]

---

Example Sentences

Over in the canteen, Syrian and African musicians chow down with Posdnuos from De La Soul and sitar legend Anoushka Shankar.

From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026

Not only are the waters often stocked with bass and trout, which the eagles chow down on, but they’re surrounded by trees where they nest.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Perhaps the most popular place to chow down is Tracy’s Crab Shack in Juneau.

From Salon • Jul. 20, 2025

You could chow down at a taco truck or learn to draw Japanese calligraphy.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2024

“We can’t hold these trucks up any longer, so you guys are going to have to chow down at your units,” he said.

From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers