chip

¹

[ chip ]

noun

1. a small, slender piece, as of wood, separated by chopping, cutting, or breaking.
2. a very thin slice or small piece of food, candy, etc.:

   chocolate chips.

3. a mark or flaw made by the breaking off or gouging out of a small piece:

   This glass has a chip.

4. any of the small round disks, usually of plastic or ivory, used as tokens for money in certain gambling games, as roulette or poker; counter.
5. Also called microchip. Electronics. a tiny slice of semiconducting material, generally in the shape of a square a few millimeters long, cut from a larger wafer of the material, on which a transistor or an entire integrated circuit is formed. Compare microprocessor.
6. a small cut or uncut piece of a diamond or crystal.
7. anything trivial or worthless.
8. something dried up or without flavor.
9. a piece of dried dung:

   buffalo chips.

10. wood, straw, etc., in thin strips for weaving into hats, baskets, etc.
11. Golf. chip shot.
12. Tennis. a softly sliced return shot with heavy backspin.
13. the strip of material removed by a recording stylus as it cuts the grooves in a record.
14. chips, Chiefly British. French fries.

verb (used with object)

, chipped, chip·ping.

1. to hew or cut with an ax, chisel, etc.
2. to cut, break off, or gouge out (bits or fragments):

   He chipped a few pieces of ice from the large cube.

3. to disfigure by breaking off a fragment:

   to chip the edge of a saucer.

4. to shape or produce by cutting or flaking away pieces:

   to chip a figure out of wood.

5. Games. to bet by means of chips, as in poker.
6. Tennis. to slice (a ball) on a return shot, causing it to have heavy backspin.
7. Slang. to take (a narcotic drug) occasionally, especially only in sufficient quantity to achieve a mild euphoria.
8. Chiefly British Sports. to hit or kick (a ball) a short distance forward.
9. British Slang. to jeer or criticize severely; deride; taunt.
10. Australian. to hoe; harrow.

verb (used without object)

, chipped, chip·ping.

1. to break off in small pieces.
2. Golf. to make a chip shot.

verb phrase

1. 1. to contribute money or assistance; participate.
   2. Games. to bet a chip or chips, as in poker.
   3. to interrupt a conversation to say something; butt in:

      We all chipped in with our suggestions for the reunion.

chip

²

[ chip ]

verb (used without object)

, chipped, chip·ping.

1. to utter a short chirping or squeaking sound; cheep.

noun

1. a short chirping or squeaking cry.

chip

³

[ chip ]

noun

, Wrestling.

1. a tricky or special method by which an opponent can be thrown.

chip

/ tʃɪp /

noun

1. a small piece removed by chopping, cutting, or breaking
2. a mark left after a small piece has been chopped, cut, or broken off something
3. (in some games) a counter used to represent money
4. a thin strip of potato fried in deep fat
5. a very thin slice of potato fried and eaten cold as a snack Also called (in Britain and certain other countries)crisp
6. a small piece or thin slice of food
7. sport a shot, kick, etc, lofted into the air, esp over an obstacle or an opposing player's head, and travelling only a short distance
8. electronics a tiny wafer of semiconductor material, such as silicon, processed to form a type of integrated circuit or component such as a transistor
9. a thin strip of wood or straw used for making woven hats, baskets, etc
10. a container for soft fruit, made of thin sheets of wood; punnet
11. cheap as chips informal.
    inexpensive; good value
12. chip off the old block informal.
    a person who resembles one of his or her parents in behaviour
13. have a chip on one's shoulder informal.
    to be aggressively sensitive about a particular thing or bear a grudge
14. have had one's chips informal.
    to be defeated, condemned to die, killed, etc
15. when the chips are down informal.
    at a time of crisis or testing

verb

1. to break small pieces from or become broken off in small pieces

   will the paint chip?

2. tr to break or cut into small pieces

   to chip ice

3. tr to shape by chipping
4. sport to strike or kick (a ball) in a high arc

chip

/ chĭp /

1. See integrated circuit

Derived Forms

• ˈchipper, noun

Other Words From

• chippa·ble adjective
• un·chippa·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chip¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English noun chippe, chip “chip, shaving, splinter” (compare Old English cipp “plowshare, beam, i.e., piece cut off )”; compare Old Saxon kipp “stick,” Old Norse keppr “stick,” Old High German kipfa “wagon pole”; late Middle English verb chippen “to cut, cut up, trim, chop” (compare Old English -cippian in forcippian “to cut off )”; akin to Middle Low German, Middle Dutch kippen “to chip (eggs), hatch”; perhaps all the Germanic forms derive from Latin cip(p)us “boundary stone, tombstone, stake, post, pillar“

Origin of chip²

First recorded in 1880–85; variant of cheep

Origin of chip³

First recorded in 1820–30; noun use of chip “to trip up”; cognate with German kippen “to tip over,” Old Norse kippa “to pull”

Word History and Origins

Origin of chip¹

Old English cipp (n), cippian (vb), of obscure origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. chip off the old block, a person who resembles one parent in appearance or behavior:

   His son is just a chip off the old block.

2. chip on one's shoulder, a disposition to quarrel:

   You will never make friends if you go around with a chip on your shoulder.

3. in the chips, Slang. wealthy; rich:

   Don't look down on your old friends now that you're in the chips.

4. when the chips are down, in a discouraging or disadvantageous situation; in bad or pressing times:

   When the chips are down he proves to be a loyal friend.

More idioms and phrases containing chip

• cash in (one's chips)
• in the money (chips)
• let the chips fall where they may
• when the chips are down

Example Sentences

In a 2021 essay, she cited Trump’s “intensive efforts to chip away at the apolitical nature of the American military” as a means of using the armed forces to help him try to stay in power after losing the 2020 election.

From Los Angeles Times

I had a chip on my shoulder already, so it felt good to write that, and the truth is that almost 40 years later, it’s still all the same.

From Los Angeles Times

Richer countries are willing to increase their contributions, as long as major emerging economies like China and the Gulf states also chip in.

From BBC

This helps to reduce thefts, but also means counterfeit Parmigiano Reggiano can be identified, as each tiny chip contains a unique digital ID that can authenticate the cheese.

From BBC

Fortunately our time with Chip Kelly is over, but with what is reported to be an $80-million buyout, USC will be stuck with Lincoln Riley for many years to come.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• slice
• wafer