Definition of PHO

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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.

Examples of pho in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Join the regulars at communal tables, wordlessly slurping noodle soup from dawn till late morning (pho is a breakfast thing here). — Peter Jon Lindberg, Condé Nast Traveler, "Hanoi, Time and Again," 20 Nov. 2018 For your pho fix, hit the rough-and-tumble Phở Gia Truyền, where a giant cauldron of beef broth simmers up front. — Peter Jon Lindberg, Condé Nast Traveler, "Hanoi, Time and Again," 20 Nov. 2018 In reality, according to a recent Postmates feature, John and Chrissy quite like a quick and easy holiday takeout around the holidays, including pho the day before Thanksgiving and McDonald’s as a late-night Christmas Eve snack. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Chrissy Teigen Grills Michael B. Jordan on His Dating Habits," 21 Nov. 2018 Executive Chef Michael Johnson said the kitchen will cut up the briskets and rice noodles to make the pho easier to eat. — Tan Vinh, The Seattle Times, "Seahawks step up the food game: Sandwiches from Salumi and pho are coming to CenturyLink Field," 6 Aug. 2018 New Dong Khanh for pho is one of my go-tos on a day off. — Kara Baskin, BostonGlobe.com, "Getting Salty with Jason Tom of Night Market," 23 Apr. 2018 Sample menu: Sugarcane shrimp ($11), quail ($12), soft-shell crab ($13), pork belly salad rolls ($8), mi quang noodles ($12), oxtail pho ($13), frogs legs ($14). — Michael Russell, OregonLive.com, "Hem 23 puts Vietnamese street food in a stylish setting, but is it good?," 15 Mar. 2018 Hên Vietnamese Eatery | Cherry Hill Boldly decorated Viet strip-maller, dispensing pho, banh mi, and other staples, is new at 2087 Marlton Pike East. — Michael Klein, Philly.com, "Your dining guide to the new A.C. casinos | Let's Eat," 27 June 2018 Follow my search for the city’s best Vietnamese pho along Washington Avenue and in Kensington (and check my Northeast package, too, for good spots along Adams Avenue). — Craig Laban, Philly.com, "Philly's best ethnic food neighborhoods | Craig LaBan," 4 June 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.