Chowder

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃaʊdɚ/

Definitions

1. A hearty and substantial soup usually featuring seafood or vegetables, often thickened with a creamy liquid to enhance its richness
2. This filling dish generally comprises seafood or vegetables combined with a creamy broth, creating a satisfying texture and flavor profile
3. A thick and often creamy soup that includes a variety of ingredients such as seafood or vegetables, providing a rich and hearty meal experience

Etymology: The word may trace back to a cooking vessel rather than to a dish. Its likeliest source is French "chaudière", a large cooking-pot, which came from Late Latin "caldāria", meaning the same thing and built on Latin "caldus", "hot". English "cauldron" is a close relative, reaching us through a different French route, so the two words are cousins that each took a different path into English. Early uses would have named the pot the stew was made in, and the dish took its name from the vessel. A second suggestion is that the word came from "jowter", an older English term for a fish seller. If so, the link would be to the seafood that shaped the dish, not to the pot. The evidence is weaker than the French explanation, so the cauldron-based account is the one most scholars favour.

Synonyms: soup, stew