chow mein

[chou meyn]

noun

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

Origin of chow mein

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for chow mein

chow mein

noun

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

Word Origin for chow mein

from Chinese (Cantonese), variant of Mandarin ch'ao mien fried noodles

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

Word Origin and History for chow mein

1903, American English, from Chinese ch'ao mien "fried flour."