chops
Britishplural noun
-
the jaws or cheeks; jowls
-
the mouth
-
slang
-
music embouchure
-
jazz skill
-
-
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.
In my childhood, pork chops were a regular, if unremarkable, presence.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026
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
The star of the new “Malcolm in the Middle” series on his father’s abandonment, a two-year motorcycle trip and his comedic chops.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 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
The chops I had put out to defrost over two months ago were still icy.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
![]()
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.