Chowchow

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A dog breed known for its lion-like mane and blue-black tongue ; a spicy pickled relish made from chopped vegetables
2. A fluffy dog with a distinctive mane and a unique tongue color ; a tangy, chopped vegetable sauce often served as a side or topping
3. A type of dog famous for dense fur and a distinctive colored tongue ; a piquant condiment made from a mix of vegetables and spices

Etymology: The English word "chow" for food comes from Chinese Pidgin English, the trade jargon used at ports such as Canton and Macau. The reduplicated form "chow-chow" meant a mixture or a miscellany, and it was applied to the mixed relishes of pickled vegetables and spices that Westerners encountered in those ports. Macanese "chau-cháu" shows the same pattern, reflecting the Portuguese-speaking community of Macau that shared that trading world. The dog breed took its name from the same word, apparently through a loose association with Chinese food and the cargoes of Chinese goods that reached Europe. Its shaggy coat and blue-black tongue made it easy to link with the exotic East, and the nickname stuck. The dog and the condiment therefore share a root in a single trade word, though they reached English by different routes of meaning.