chow

n. a casual word for food, especially simple or hearty meals.

n. food, particularly of a basic or mass-produced variety. Uncountable in this sense.

“The hikers were hungry and ready for some hot chow after a long day.”

“The mess hall served basic chow that was barely edible, yet the soldiers were too exhausted to complain about the quality.”

Informal · Slang

n. a short name for a Chow Chow, which is a large, fluffy dog from China.

n. a common shortening of Chow Chow, referring to a breed of sturdy dog originating from northern China, known for its thick coat and blue-black tongue.

“Their new puppy is a chow with a very thick, reddish coat.”

“The neighbor's chow is surprisingly protective, standing guard by the gate whenever a stranger approaches the property.”

n. a set of three tiles in a row of the same suit in the game of Mahjong.

n. a meld consisting of three suited tiles in numerical sequence. Countable in the context of game scoring.

“He needed a seven of bamboo to complete his chow and win the round.”

“The player successfully claimed the discarded tile to form a chow, bringing her one step closer to a winning hand.”

Technical

v. to eat food, often quickly or with a lot of energy.

v. to consume food. Often used in the phrasal form 'chow down'.

“We were so hungry that we started to chow down as soon as the pizza arrived.”

“After the marathon, the runners gathered at the buffet to chow down on high-carb meals to recover their energy.”

Informal · Slang