chow

1
[ chou ]
/ tʃaʊ /
Informal.

noun

food, especially hearty dishes or a meal.

Verb Phrases

chow down, to eat; eat a meal, especially the main meal of the day: In the army we usually chow down at 6 p.m.

Origin of chow

1
1855–60, Americanism; short for chow-chow

British Dictionary definitions for chow down (1 of 2)

chow down

verb (intr, adverb foll by on)

informal to eat heartily

British Dictionary definitions for chow down (2 of 2)

chow
/ (tʃaʊ) /

noun

informal food
short for chow-chow (def. 1)
See also chow down

Idioms and Phrases with chow down

chow down

Eat, as in He's always ready to chow down at dinner time. Originally military slang, this term is now more widely used. The noun chow in the sense of food, originating from either Chinese or pidgin English in the 18th century, also appears in such terms as chow line, a line of people waiting for food, and chow time, mealtime. [Slang; mid-1900s]