Meanings
chow chow1
plural chow chows
Chow Chow2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA dog of a Chinese breed with a sturdy build, a square profile, small triangular erect ears with rounded tips, and a dense double coat.
More synonyms by meaning
nounbreed of medium-sized dogs with a thick coat and fluffy curled tails and distinctive blue-black tongues; believed to have originated in northern China
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
First attested in 1886, but of uncertain origin (present Chinese terms for the breed do not resemble it). Possibly related to the old Chinese custom of eating dogs (cf. chow and chow-chow).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Cantonese 鬆獅犬 /松狮犬
- 鬆獅犬 /松狮犬 (sung¹ si¹ hyun²)dog breed
Chinese Mandarin 鬆獅犬 /松狮犬
- 鬆獅犬 /松狮犬 (sōngshīquǎn)dog breed
Czech čau-čau
- čau-čaudog breed
Finnish chow chow, kiinanpystykorva
- chow chowdog breed
- kiinanpystykorvadog breed
French chow-chow
- chow-chowdog breed
Greek Τσόου Τσόου
- Τσόου Τσόου (Tsóou Tsóou)dog breed
Hungarian csau-csau
- csau-csaudog breed
Irish seabha-seabha
- seabha-seabhadog breed
Japanese チャウ・チャウ, チャウチャウ
- チャウ・チャウdog breed
- チャウチャウ (Chau Chau)dog breed
Korean 차우차우
- 차우차우 (chauchau)dog breed
Malay anjing chow
- anjing chowdog breed
Polish chow-chow, czau-czau
- chow-chowdog breed
- czau-czaudog breed
Russian чау-ча́у
- чау-ча́у (čau-čáu)dog breed
Spanish chowchow, chow-chow
- chowchowdog breed
- chow-chowdog breed
Turkish çov-çov
- çov-çovdog breed
Cite this entry
chow chow. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chow%20chow
“chow chow.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chow%20chow. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chow chow,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chow%20chow.
Source: chow chow on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.