Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
chow-chow [chou-chou] ExamplesWord Origin noun
- a Chinese mixed fruit preserve.
- a relish of chopped mixed pickles in mustard sauce.
Origin of chow-chow Borrowed into English from Chinese Pidgin English around 1785–95 chow chow [chou chou] noun (often initial capital letters)
- one of a Chinese breed of medium-sized dogs having a thick black, blue, red, or cream coat and a blue-black tongue.
Also chow. Origin of chow chow 1785–95; said to be dialectal Chinese; compare Guangdong dial. gáu dog Examples from the Web for chow-chow Historical Examples of chow-chow
“Chow-Chow” was not a pickle, but a chicken, and a real funny one, too.
Our Little Ones and The Nursery, Vol. V, No. 9, July 1885
Various
Why, it’s like one o’ those Chow-chow dogs, I’m blest if it isn’t!
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 105, November 11, 1893
Various
When he hears dishes rattle, yells “Chow-chow” for a long time.
Studies in Forensic Psychiatry
Bernard Glueck
He led a happy life, with a perch and ring of ebony and silver, the freedom of the house, and chow-chow four times a day.
Laura E. Richards
And in a few weeks not a rooster in the neighborhood had such a musical, splendid crow as our “Chow-Chow.”
Our Little Ones and The Nursery, Vol. V, No. 9, July 1885
Various
British Dictionary definitions for chow-chow chow-chow noun
- a thick-coated breed of the spitz type of dog with a curled tail and a characteristic blue-black tongue; it came originally from ChinaOften shortened to: chow
- a Chinese preserve of ginger, orange peel, etc in syrup
- a mixed vegetable pickle
Word Origin for chow-chow C19: from pidgin English, probably based on Mandarin Chinese cha miscellaneous