chow C2+ Topic:Food & Drink US /tʃaʊ/ UK /tʃaʊ/ See IPA manual Minimal pairs Sounds like sow /tʃ/ vs /s/ Sounds like sough /tʃ/ vs /s/ Meanings 1 noun food; a meal (informal) The crew lined up for chow as soon as the bell rang. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · food; a meal (informal) foodgrubfareeatsvictualsnosh Word family Related forms chow-chow Etymology AI details Mid-19th-century American slang, probably from Chinese Pidgin English, ultimately from Cantonese chaau ('to fry, cook') or related to chow-chow ('mixed food, relish'). Topics Food & Drink Register & Style External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # chow **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /tʃaʊ/ **IPA (UK):** /tʃaʊ/ ## Meanings 1. food; a meal (informal) ## Examples - The crew lined up for chow as soon as the bell rang. ## Synonyms - food - grub - fare - eats - victuals - nosh ## Related Forms - chow-chow ## Etymology Mid-19th-century American slang, probably from Chinese Pidgin English, ultimately from Cantonese chaau ('to fry, cook') or related to chow-chow ('mixed food, relish'). ## AI Etymology Chow is a noun and verb meaning "food; a meal (informal)". Historically, it is mid-19th-century American slang, probably from Chinese Pidgin English, ultimately from Cantonese chaau ('to fry, cook') or related to chow-chow ('mixed food, relish'). The older history should therefore be treated cautiously rather than as settled. A close English family member is chow-chow. This keeps the modern noun and verb sense tied to the formation history behind it. ## Topics - Food & Drink - Register & Style markdown