chowder

American  

[chou-der] / ˈtʃaʊ dər /

noun

1. a thick soup or stew made of clams, fish, or vegetables, with potatoes, onions, and other ingredients and seasonings.

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chowder British  

/ ˈtʃaʊdə /

noun

1. a thick soup or stew containing clams or fish

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Etymology

Origin of chowder

1735–45, < French chaudière pot, kettle < Late Latin caldāria cauldron

Explanation

Chowder is a thick, chunky soup that often contains fish or shellfish. New England is well known for its creamy, rich version of clam chowder. Chowder is somewhere between a soup and a stew — it's full of chunks of potato and onions, thick with bacon, fish, or vegetables, and sometimes eaten with crackers on the side or crumbled on top. Chowder is one of many words that distinctly originated in America, and it was included in the first edition of Noah Webster's dictionary of American English. Chowder comes from the pot in which it's cooked, chaudière, French for "a pot."

Example Sentences

Matijevich recommends enjoying bowls of clam chowder with your favorite crusty bread, like focaccia or toasted slices of baguette.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

Anyone beyond the land of candlepin bowling and cringing at red clam chowder thought they had a better shot at finishing at the bottom of the standings than reaching the Super Bowl.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

A serving of a Boston-centric alternative, canned clam chowder, would bump the meal up to $3.64.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

Squash is the standout in this chowder, which is surprising because it is paired with freshly shucked, cut from the cob, absolutely divine, sweet corn.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2025

"Katherine," Sam's daddy said at dinner, "this is terrific fish chowder."

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry

Related Words

• bouillon
• porridge
• puree