chow mein

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   A dish of stir-fried noodles mixed with vegetables and meat, shrimp, or tofu, common in Chinese restaurants in the West.

   Grammar: Uncountable as a dish: some chow mein; countable when ordering: two chow meins.

   Patterns

   • chow mein with something

   We ordered chicken chow mein and rice.

   She made vegetable chow mein for dinner.

   The takeout chow mein arrived hot.

2. 2noununcountableAmerican

   In American Chinese food, a dish of soft noodles served with a sauce, often over crispy noodles.

   Grammar: Some places serve it crispy; check the menu.

   The diner's chow mein was served over crisp noodles.

   The cafeteria sold a cheap chow mein on Fridays.

Word forms

Common combinations

chicken chow mein

Chicken chow mein is a popular takeout choice.

vegetable chow mein

Vegetable chow mein suits vegetarians.

order chow mein

We always order chow mein with spring rolls.

crispy chow mein

Crispy chow mein has a crunchy texture.

pork chow mein

He asked for pork chow mein, not beef.

Synonyms and how they differ

lo mein

Lo mein uses soft, tossed noodles with sauce, while chow mein usually has fried or crispier noodles.

stir-fried noodles

Stir-fried noodles is the general description, and chow mein is a specific named dish.

noodles

Noodles is the general term, while chow mein names a specific dish.

Word family

chow noun

informal word for food

mein noun

noodles, from Chinese

chop suey noun

another Chinese-American dish of mixed stir-fried foods

Commonly confused: chow mein or lo mein?

Practice

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