chow down

British  

verb

1. informal to eat heartily

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chow down Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

Not only are the waters often stocked with bass and trout, which the eagles chow down on, but they’re surrounded by trees where they nest.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

You could chow down at a taco truck or learn to draw Japanese calligraphy.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2024

Condors can get lead poisoning if they chow down on animals shot by hunters using lead bullets.

From Science Magazine • May 2, 2023

For dessert, guests can chow down on a banana split, lemon bar ice cream, and mint ginger snap cookies.

From Washington Times • Apr. 24, 2023

“Before we chow down on those wings,” Webb says, nodding to the cartons on the table by the door, “we need to talk a little shop.”

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner