Standard Lemma guide

choo-choo

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈtʃuːˌtʃuː/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The sound made by a steam locomotive or ship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A locomotive, especially a train or ship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: childish

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: choo-choo train

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a child's word for locomotive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: locomotive, engine, locomotive engine, railway locomotive

History

Etymology

Imitative.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تُوت تُوت (tūt tūt) — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Chinese Mandarin: 嗚嗚 /呜呜 (wūwū) — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Estonian: tšuhh-tšuhh — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Finnish: tsuku-tsuku — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • French: tchou-tchou — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Hawaiian: kūkū-kūkū — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Hungarian: sihuhu — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Hungarian: si-hu-hu — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Italian: ciuf ciuf — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Japanese: シュッシュッ (shusshut) — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Japanese: ポッポッ (poppot) — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Japanese: シュッポッポ (shuppoppo) — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Japanese: シュッポ (shuppo) — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Japanese: ガタンガトン (gatangatan) — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Japanese: ガタンゴトン (gatangoton) — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Polish: ciu-ciu — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Portuguese: tchu-tchu — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Russian: чух (čux) — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Russian: ту (tu) — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Russian: ду (du) — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Spanish: chu-chu — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Swedish: tuff-tuff — sound made by a steam locomotive
  • Turkish: çuf çuf — sound made by a steam locomotive