chops
Britishplural noun
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the jaws or cheeks; jowls
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the mouth
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slang
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music embouchure
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jazz skill
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informal to anticipate with pleasure
Etymology
Origin of chops
C16: of uncertain origin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The pork chops of my childhood were thin, boneless, and oven-bound — salted and peppered just before they went in, cooked through without much ceremony.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026
In my childhood, pork chops were a regular, if unremarkable, presence.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026
Blue Owl touted its technology investing chops for years and helped pioneer private-credit lending to SaaS companies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Go to the Marché des Enfants Rouges in the 3rd arrondissement in Paris for fresh oysters and a cheese plate, or to the Marché des Carmes in Toulouse for some lamb chops and fried scallops.
From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026
Sorry, Hemingway, but this old guy murdered some of your best chops for a generation of students.
From "Winger" by Andrew Smith
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.