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chip

Pronunciation: /tʃɪp/
Translate chip | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of chip

noun

  • 1a small piece of something removed in the course of chopping, cutting, or breaking a hard material such as wood or stone:granite chips
  • a hole or mark on a hard object or surface where a small piece has broken off:keep an eye out for any scratches or chips on the bodywork that might need treating
  • [mass noun] British wood or woody fibre split into thin strips and used for weaving hats or baskets.
  • 2British a long rectangular piece of deep-fried potato: he always enjoyed fish and chips
  • (also potato chip) North American a potato crisp.
  • 4a counter used in certain gambling games to represent money:a poker chip
  • 5(in football, golf, and other sports) a short lofted kick or shot: he made no mistake with a chip and a par putt from four feet to seal victory

verb (chips, chipping, chipped)

[with object]
  • 1cut or break (a small piece) from a hard material:we had to chip ice off the upper deck
  • [no object] (of a material or object) break at the edge or on the surface:the paint had chipped off the gate
  • cut pieces off (a hard material) to shape it or break it up:craftsmen chipped the blocks of flint to the required shape [no object]:she chipped away at the ground outside the door
  • 2 (usually as adjective chipped) British cut (a potato) into chips.
  • 3(in football, golf, and other sports) kick or strike (a ball or shot) to produce a short lofted shot or pass:he chipped a superb shot over the keeper

Phrases

a chip off the old block

informal someone who resembles their parent in character or appearance: she smiled at Jimmy, a chip off the old block with his grey eyes and a bit of his dad’s twinkle

a chip on one's shoulder

informal an ingrained feeling of resentment deriving from a sense of inferiority and sometimes marked by aggressive behaviour: I had a dirty great chip on my shoulder—I thought everybody was against me
[from an old custom of placing a chip of wood on one's shoulder as a challenge to a rival: if the rival knocked the chip off they were agreeing to fight]

have had one's chips

British informal be dead or defeated: Granny has had her chips—she’s dead

when the chips are down

informal when a very serious situation arises: when the chips are down they chicken out

Phrasal Verbs

chip away at

gradually and relentlessly make something smaller or weaker:rivals may chip away at one’s profits by undercutting prices

chip in (or chip something in)

  • 1contribute something as one’s share of a joint activity, cost, etc.:Rollie chipped in with nine saves and five wins the council will chip in a further £30,000 a year
  • 2 informal make an interjection: [with direct speech]:‘He’s right,’ Gloria chipped in

Origin:

Middle English: related to Old English forcippian 'cut off'

chip in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of chip in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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