Definition

Noun: A Chinese-American dish consisting of stir-fried vegetables and sometimes meat, served over or mixed with crispy fried noodles.

Usage

• As a direct object: "We ordered chow mein for dinner."
• As a subject: "The chow mein from that restaurant is delicious."
• With modifiers: "I prefer chicken chow mein over the shrimp version."

Examples

• "For a quick meal, she often makes vegetable chow mein at home."
• "The menu offers both lo mein and chow mein, which are different noodle dishes."
• "He added extra soy sauce to his plate of chow mein."

Advanced Usage

• "Chow mein noodles": This phrase specifically refers to the thin, crispy fried noodles used in or served with the dish.
  • Example: "The recipe calls for a bag of chow mein noodles as a topping."

Variants and Related Words

• Lo mein: A related dish where soft, boiled noodles are stir-fried with ingredients, contrasting with the crispy noodles of chow mein.

Synonyms

• Stir-fried noodles with vegetables/meat: A descriptive synonym.
• Chinese fried noodles: A general, less specific term.

Notes on Meaning

The term specifically denotes the combination of the stir-fried topping and the crispy noodles. It is a staple of Westernized Chinese cuisine. The crispy noodles are a defining characteristic that differentiates it from similar dishes like lo mein or chop suey.

Noun

1. chop suey served with fried noodles