champ

¹ American  

[champ, chomp] / tʃæmp, tʃɒmp /

verb (used with object)

1. to bite upon or grind, especially impatiently.

   The horses champed the oats.

2. to crush with the teeth and chew vigorously or noisily; munch.

3. to mash; crush.

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verb (used without object)

1. to make vigorous chewing or biting movements with the jaws and teeth.

noun

1. the act of champing.

idioms

1. champ at the bit, to betray impatience, as to begin some action.

champ ² American  

[champ] / tʃæmp /

noun

Informal.

1. a champion.

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champ ¹ British  

/ tʃæmp /

verb

1. to munch (food) noisily like a horse

2. to bite (something) nervously or impatiently; gnaw

3. informal to be impatient to start work, a journey, etc

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noun

1. the act or noise of champing

2. dialect a dish, originating in Ireland, of mashed potatoes and spring onions or leeks

champ ² British  

/ tʃæmp /

noun

1. informal short for champion

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champ More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing champ

• like a champ

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Other Word Forms

• champer noun
• champy adjective

Etymology

Origin of champ¹

1520–30; perhaps akin to chap ¹; chop ¹

Origin of champ²

By shortening

Example Sentences

Unlike the last fight Paul had against a former champ, this one isn’t 58 years old either.

From The Wall Street Journal

Red and green cabbage deserve more love here; they stay crisp, add color and hold onto dressing like champs.

From Salon

An apologetic Safdie demonstrated winding out wide and pounding down, the champ mastered the new skill by the sixth take, and the director lived to fight another day.

From Los Angeles Times

“We’re champing at the bit to get the data,” one FAA official in Washington said at the time, as days stretched on after the crash without a black-box readout.

From The Wall Street Journal

Chicago are strangely the most consistent with eight wins in nine, but as they visit the Super Bowl champs on Thanksgiving we'll see just how good they really are.

From BBC

Related Words

• chomp