chowder

1 of 2

verb

chow·​der ˈchau̇-dər How to pronounce chowder (audio)
chowdered; chowdering; chowders

transitive verb

: to make chowder of

chowder

2 of 2

noun

: a soup or stew of seafood (such as clams or fish) usually made with milk or tomatoes, salt pork, onions, and other vegetables (such as potatoes)
also : a soup resembling chowder
corn chowder

Examples of chowder in a Sentence

Noun a bowl of clam chowder
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
This chowder is one of the most popular recipes on our website! — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 27 Oct. 2026 Huddleston, at the chowder shop, didn’t cast a ballot in 2024, unable to stomach supporting either party. — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Bayzo's pub is analogous to an English tavern, with creamy cups of clam chowder and a piano likely to launch you into Elton John renditions. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Goodbye to clam chowder, meatloaf, blue cheese dressing and ranch dressing made on site, pico mix, sliced ham, mozzarella cheese, whole milk, heavy cream, coleslaw and blue cheese. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chowder

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French chaudière kettle, contents of a kettle, from Late Latin caldaria — more at cauldron

First Known Use

Verb

1732, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1751, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chowder was in 1732

Phrases Containing chowder

Rhymes for chowder

See All Rhymes for chowder

Browse Nearby Words

chow chow
chowder
chowderhead
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chowder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chowder. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

chowder

noun
chow·​der
ˈchau̇d-ər
: a soup or stew made of seafood with potatoes and onions and milk or tomatoes
also : a soup similar to chowder
corn chowder

More from Merriam-Webster on chowder

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chowder

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All