chow chow

[ chou-chou ]

noun(often initial capital letters)
  1. one of a Chinese breed of medium-sized dogs having a thick black, blue, red, or cream coat and a blue-black tongue.

Origin of chow chow

1
1785–95; said to be <dialectal Chinese; compare Guangdong dial. gáu dog

Words Nearby chow chow

Other definitions for chow-chow (2 of 2)

chow-chow
[ chou-chou ]

noun
  1. a Chinese mixed fruit preserve.

  2. a relish of chopped mixed pickles in mustard sauce.

Origin of chow-chow

2
Borrowed into English from Chinese Pidgin English around 1785–95

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How to use chow chow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chow-chow

chow-chow

noun
  1. a thick-coated breed of the spitz type of dog with a curled tail and a characteristic blue-black tongue; it came originally from China: Often shortened to: chow

  2. a Chinese preserve of ginger, orange peel, etc in syrup

  1. a mixed vegetable pickle

Origin of chow-chow

1
C19: from pidgin English, probably based on Mandarin Chinese cha miscellaneous

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