chow

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
chow /tʃaʊ/

▶noun

• 1 informal food.

• 2 (also chow chow) a dog of a sturdy Chinese breed with a tail curled over its back, a bluish-black tongue, and typically a dense thick coat.

▶verb (chow down) N. Amer. informal eat.

– origin C19: shortened from chow chow.