Meanings
nounchimaek (uncountable)
- uncountableThe pairing of fried chicken and beer, originating in South Korea.
Some claim only a specific frying method qualifies as “authentic” Korean-style chicken, but there are so many chimaek styles – chicken places are forever hatching new techniques and flavor combinations – that no one really has a say on what counts and what doesn’t.
2015 June 21, Violet Kim, “Watch your wing, KFC! Korean fried chicken (and beer) is here”, in CNN
Origin
- Korean치맥
- Englishchimaek
Borrowed from Korean 치맥 (chimaek).
More words from Korean
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 雞啤 /鸡啤
- 雞啤 /鸡啤 (jīpí)pairing of fried chicken and beer
Japanese チメク
- チメク (chimeku)pairing of fried chicken and beer
Korean 치맥
- 치맥 (chimaek)pairing of fried chicken and beer
Cite this entry
APA
chimaek. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chimaek
MLA
“chimaek.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chimaek. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chimaek,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chimaek.
Source: chimaek on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.