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

Shiffrin’s never been shy about acknowledging performance anxiety—this is a champ who still shows up to races with the butterflies of a kindergartner on the first day of school.

From The Wall Street Journal

“When you’re the two-time defending league champs you take pride in that and you don’t want to give it away.”

From Los Angeles Times

The 24-year-old Italian and defending back-to-back Aussie champ fell to Djokovic in the semis, but he has won four majors of his own and has now split the last nine with Alcaraz.

From The Wall Street Journal

To accompany an April Instagram post of himself with Robbins, Robbins’s wife Sage and former boxing champ Mike Tyson, Ratner chose the song “We Are the Champions” by Queen.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ohio State will have a bye week before its Halloween meeting with USC at the Coliseum, and so will the defending champ, Indiana, which USC will face in Bloomington on Nov. 14.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chomp