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

See Examples For:

chow mein

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

Since 1959, they’ve come for Chinese American classics such as sweet and sour chicken, barbecued pork chow mein, egg rolls, chop suey and shrimp fried rice.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2025

Will jollof or efo riro follow in the footsteps of tikka masala or chow mein to become UK favourites?

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2024

In The Chinese Way, there is a sausage and cauliflower chow mein that is a winning combination and easy to put together – just as an example of a “nontraditional” chow mein dish.

From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2024

A short silence falls over our table, broken only by the clang of forks against porcelain, the obnoxious slurping sounds Connor makes as he eats his chow mein.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day