Chow Is Slang for Food and the Name of a Dog
Chow is informal English for food. The word probably comes from Chinese, and it also names a breed.
Chow is informal English for food, especially a meal. It appears in Californian English in the 1850s among Chinese labourers, probably from Cantonese *chΔau*, to fry or cook, the same element in *chow mein*, meaning fried noodles. American military use carried it worldwide, and *chow line* and *chow hall* are still standard barracks vocabulary. The Chow Chow dog is named separately, from a pidgin term for miscellaneous goods.
- Food (informal). *Time for chow.*
- Chow mein β fried noodles. *Chow mein.*
- Chow down β eat heartily. *Chow down.*
- Chow line β a queue for food. *The chow line.*
- Cantonese β *chΔau*, to fry. *A likely source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | chow | Chow. |
| Verb | chow | Chow down. |
| Compound | chow mein | Chow mein. |
| Compound | chowhound | A chowhound. |
| Breed | Chow Chow | A Chow Chow. |
- Let us get some chow.Food.
- The chow line stretched outside.Military.
- Chow mein means fried noodles.Dish.
Chinese words in English
- Chow β probably from a Cantonese word for frying
- Ketchup β from a Hokkien fish sauce name
- Typhoon β from *tai fung*, a great wind
- Kowtow β from *kou tou*, to knock the head
- Wok β Cantonese, adopted whole
Probably from Cantonese *chΔau*, to fry or cook, recorded in Californian English from the 1850s.
Is the Chow Chow dog named after food?
No. The breed name comes from a pidgin term for assorted goods, used for miscellaneous cargo from China.
What does chow mein mean?
Fried noodles. The first element is the same one behind the slang word chow.