chow mein

American  

[chau mayn] / 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.

---

chow mein British  

/ meɪn /

noun

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

---

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

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

But it wasn’t all soupy like the chow mein Mario had seen at the Automat.

From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---