chowder
UK[ˈtʃaʊdə]US[ˈtʃaʊdər]
n
A thick soup or stew containing fish, clams, or other seafood, often made with milk or tomatoes, potatoes, and onions.
Etymology
The word 'chowder' entered English in the mid-18th century from North American French, specifically the term chaudière, meaning "a pot or cauldron." This French word itself derives from Late Latin caldāria, a noun related to cooking vessels, from Latin caldārius ("pertaining to warming"), and ultimately from calidus ("hot"). The culinary logic is direct: the dish is named after the pot in which it was traditionally cooked. The modern meaning evolved from the communal practice of making a hearty, mixed seafood stew in a large pot or cauldron for gatherings.
Analysis
This word is a loanword adopted as a single, unanalyzable unit in modern English.
Examples
The New England clam chowder was creamy and full of tender potatoes.
For dinner, we had a hearty corn and smoked fish chowder.
Every coastal town seems to have its own secret recipe for seafood chowder.