chow

1 [chou] Informal.
noun
1.
food, especially hearty dishes or a meal.
2.
chow down, to eat; eat a meal, especially the main meal of the day: In the army we usually chow down at 6 p.m.

Origin:
1855–60, Americanism; short for chow-chow

Dictionary.com Unabridged

chow

2 [chou]
noun ( often initial capital letter )

Origin:
short form

00:10
Chow is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

Chow

[chou; Chinese joh]
noun

Chow

[chou]
noun Australian Disparaging.
a Chinese.

Origin:
1870–75; special use of chow1

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
chow (tʃaʊ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  informal food
2.  short for chow-chow

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

chow
"food," 1856, Amer.Eng. (originally in California), from Chinese pidgin Eng. chow-chow (1795) "food," reduplication of Chinese cha or tsa "mixed." The dog breed of the same name is from 1886, of unknown origin, but some suggest a link to the Chinese tendency to see dogs as edible.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

chow definition


  1. n.
    food. : What time is chow served around here?
  2. tv. & in.
    to eat (something). (See also chow down.) : I've been chowing canned tuna and stale bagels to save money.

  3. Go to ciao. :
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
And for us, that means using the slow traffic as an excuse to pull off the road and chow down on delicious food near the exit.
Several rice and noodle dishes range from shrimp fried rice to chow mien with vegetables.
And be sure to know which type of persimmon you're buying before you chow down.
Not necessarily so, though you can chow down if you wish.
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