chow

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈchau̇ 

plural chows

1

informal : food, victuals

As happy hour dwindled, patrons kept trickling in, two and three at a time, most of them settling into booths for some chow.

—Ellen S. Wilkowe

—often used before another noun

"… I'll be down to visit you three times a day when the chow cart comes."

—Rick Eilert

… lived in the barracks and ate in the chow hall.

—Peter Shelton

2

: kibble sense 1

The chows are commercially produced grain mixtures laced with vitamins and minerals. A kitchen corner is stacked with 50-pound bags of … monkey chow, … dog chow and omnivore chow (for members of the pig family).

—Gelareh Asayesh

see also:

chow line chow time

chow

2 of 3

verb

chowed; chowing; chows

transitive + intransitive

informal : eat

—often used with on or down

… chowing on some bratwurst with homemade sauerkraut …

—Andrew Lamberson

The cabbage was chowed on by the cabbageworms.

—Faye Mahaffey

chowing down pizza

… he simply assures her that everything she serves him is "delicious" and chows it down.

—Frank Deford

chow

3 of 3

noun (2)

variants or Chow

plural chows or Chows

: chow chow

… chows are large hunting-type dogs, weighing up to 60 pounds and standing at least 20 inches high.

—Ralph W. Marler

Chows are smart, loyal dogs and usually good with children, but known to be protective of family.

—The San Antonio Express-News

Synonyms of chow

Noun (1)

• meal
• menu

Examples of chow in a Sentence

Noun (1)

that evening's chow was pretty basic because we were in a hurry

there's always at least some chow in the house

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Gullion calculates such gluttonous habits to be similar to a 150-pound person eating 27 pounds of chow at one sitting. — Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026

Camp Pendleton has 12 chow halls — this one is the first of its kind at the base and on the West Coast. — Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026

Verb

Soon, locals in Huntersville can chow on authentic Baja-style Mexican cuisine and wash it all down with a gargantuan margarita. — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 31 Mar. 2026

Paintings of the Chinese imperial court portray chows luxuriating in the role of companion dogs. — Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

short for chowchow

Noun (2)

by shortening

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1900, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1889, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing chow

• chow chow
• chow down
• chow line
• chow mein
• chow time

Rhymes for chow

• bao
• bough
• brow
• ciao
• clow
• cow
• dao
• dow
• frau
• hao
• hau
• how

Kids Definition

chow

1 of 2 noun

ˈchau̇ 

: meal entry 1 sense 1, food

chow

2 of 2 verb

: eat sense 1

chowing down on pizza