chowder

1 of 2

verb

chow·​der ˈchau̇-dər How to pronounce chowder (audio)
chowdered; chowdering; chowders

transitive verb

: to make chowder of

chowder

2 of 2

noun

: a soup or stew of seafood (such as clams or fish) usually made with milk or tomatoes, salt pork, onions, and other vegetables (such as potatoes)
also : a soup resembling chowder
corn chowder

Examples of chowder in a Sentence

Noun a bowl of clam chowder
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Most people want to know how Baker manages to eat without ending up with marinara sauce or clam chowder all over his face. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2023 It’s creamy, really close to clam chowder without the clams. Kara Baskin, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Jan. 2023 The morning sun is already melting everything to chowder or dead fish and saltwater. Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2022 Local favorite Guppy’s Good Times’ menu runs the gamut from Old Bay on a sushi roll to chowder with queso fresco. Emily Cappiello, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2021 Cameron will make the clam chowder her father made on Christmas Eve all during her childhood. oregonlive, 13 Nov. 2020
Noun
For years, Weyand’s store on Biddle did all sorts of dinners on Fridays and sold Blume’s popular and specially made clam chowder. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 4 Mar. 2024 Patrons can grab seafood to prepare at home or order from the menu of dishes like clam chowder, Hawaiian style poke and seafood sandwiches. Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 20 Feb. 2024 Highlights from the small plates include roasted bone marrow with garlic confit; shellfish chowder and yuzu kosho cured king salmon. Chelsea Davis, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Both serve clam chowder that’s a local favorite and a multiyear winner of the annual Morro Bay Chowder Cook-off. Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Grab a steaming chowder in a bread bowl from Boston Chowder Co., or an ice cream cone at Quincy's Place. Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2024 This 1987 release is still filled with revelations, like beets in walnut vinaigrette, corn and green chili chowder, and white bean and eggplant gratin. Alicia Kennedy, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2024 One option features oysters Rockefeller, shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, clam chowder, seabass, seafood pasta and chocolate. Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Dec. 2023 Seared scallops and enoki mushrooms grace a gorgeously creamy Tom Kha chowder, a December special, derived from a paste of galangal, lime leaves, and lemongrass slow-cooked with coconut milk. Shauna Lyon, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chowder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French chaudière kettle, contents of a kettle, from Late Latin caldaria — more at cauldron

First Known Use

Verb

1732, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1751, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chowder was in 1732

Dictionary Entries Near chowder

Cite this Entry

“Chowder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chowder. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

chowder

noun
chow·​der
ˈchau̇d-ər
: a soup or stew made of seafood with potatoes and onions and milk or tomatoes
also : a soup similar to chowder
corn chowder

More from Merriam-Webster on chowder

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!