Meaning and background
The story behind Chow
Chow is used informally in English for food, while the same letters are familiar from the Chow Chow dog breed. Those associations are not identical, and the breed-name origin is less securely explained than the food slang. The word has a short, direct sound when called. Its uncertain deeper borrowing history should be acknowledged instead of turned into a precise Chinese translation.
- Meaning
- Food, in informal English Source
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Everyday moments“Chow, come here!”
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About Chow
Recorded as a dog’s name
Chow appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/tʃaʊ/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/tʃaʊ/ · primary stress on syllable 1CH AW1
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.