The meal time when food is served and eaten, particularly in military or institutional contexts.
Compound of 'chow' (food, from Chinese ch'ow or pidgin) and 'time.' 'Chow' entered English through Chinese traders and pidgin English, while becoming standard military slang by the 20th century.
The word 'chow' shows how Chinese trade gave English not just goods but casual, friendly words for everyday things—'chowtime' became the warm military term that made rigid schedules feel more social.
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