pho

noun \ ˈfə , ˈfō \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Definition of pho

: a soup made of beef or chicken broth and rice noodles

pho was our Word of the Day on 07/10/2014. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of pho from the Web

Pho Saigon Pearl Vietnamese crepes, spring rolls, pho noodle soups and vermicelli bowls are among the many offerings at this Vietnamese restaurant at Thunderbird Road and 59th Avenue in Glendale.

— jennifer mcclellan, azcentral, "19 new restaurants opened in Phoenix in May for donuts, salads, tacos, pizza," 1 June 2018
Lobster and Pho will feature lobster rolls, which Lee says will offer lobster in every bite, as well as pho -- a Vietnamese noodle soup -- and dinner fare including Cajun seafood.

— laura bednar, cleveland.com, "Lobster and Pho restaurant to open this May in Rockside Corners Shopping Center in Independence," 16 Apr. 2018
Other shops feature carved meats, breakfast, pizza, pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) and a Starbucks.

— debbi snook, cleveland.com, "Chef Jose Andres' concept headlines new Cleveland Clinic food court (photos)," 10 May 2018
Korean burger shacks, Ethiopian beer gardens, poke joints, and cult pho spots became the new norm.

— adam h. graham, Condé Nast Traveler, "Plan a Trip to Zurich This Summer (Yes, Really)," 2 May 2018
Owners Cat Nguyen and Angie Dang are transforming the Montrose shop into a pho shop named Les Noo'dle.

— darla guillen, Houston Chronicle, "Houston restaurants and bars that recently closed," 22 Mar. 2018
Beef in various forms, from meatball to tendon to steak, stocked the pho bowl along with wide noodle ribbons.

— bill daley, chicagotribune.com, "HaiSous' Restaurant Week brunch satisfies, but feed your curiosity by ordering more," 30 Jan. 2018
Owned by husband and wife Mary Hyunh and Jon Nguyen, the menu will include unique twists on signature Vietnamese dishes like boba tea and pho.

— kaila contreras, Houston Chronicle, "Roundups: Vienamese bistro headed to Generation Park in April," 24 Apr. 2018
Guests will find a large menu with such dishes as banh mi sandwiches, pho, bun salad, fried rice and appetizers.

— jennifer mcclellan, azcentral, "31 new restaurants opened in Phoenix in April, chains and independents," 1 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pho.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Pho, which first appeared in print in English in 1935, was borrowed from a Vietnamese word which was spelled phở. English speakers replaced the vowel with "o" but preserved the pronunciation as "fuh," rather than "foh." Another Vietnamese food word that was borrowed into English is nuoc mam, which refers to a type of fish sauce that is fermented in brine. In that case as well, the original Vietnamese word had accent marks that were lost on the journey into English. Nuoc mam was recorded in English just a few years before pho arrived.