# chow

/ˈtʃaʊ/ (US) · /tʃˈaʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/chow
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. food

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · Slang

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

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Usually uncountable; often used in military or camping contexts.

### 2. a dog breed

noun · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Often capitalized when referring to the specific breed name.

### 3. Mahjong sequence

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Specific to the rules of Mahjong.

### 4. to eat

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal · Slang

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

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Frequently appears as the phrasal verb 'chow down'.

## Examples

- The dog ate its chow quickly.
- We stopped for chow at a roadside diner.
- The hikers shared their chow, dividing the dried fruit and jerky evenly among the group.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.