chip

[ chip ]

/ tʃɪp /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR chip ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a small, slender piece, as of wood, separated by chopping, cutting, or breaking.

a very thin slice or small piece of food, candy, etc.: chocolate chips.

a mark or flaw made by the breaking off or gouging out of a small piece: This glass has a chip.

any of the small round disks, usually of plastic or ivory, used as tokens for money in certain gambling games, as roulette or poker; counter.

Also called microchip. Electronics. a tiny slice of semiconducting material, generally in the shape of a square a few millimeters long, cut from a larger wafer of the material, on which a transistor or an entire integrated circuit is formed.Compare microprocessor.

a small cut or uncut piece of a diamond or crystal.

anything trivial or worthless.

something dried up or without flavor.

a piece of dried dung: buffalo chips.

wood, straw, etc., in thin strips for weaving into hats, baskets, etc.

Golf. chip shot.

Tennis. a softly sliced return shot with heavy backspin.

the strip of material removed by a recording stylus as it cuts the grooves in a record.

chips, Chiefly British. French fries.

verb (used with object), chipped, chip·ping.

to hew or cut with an ax, chisel, etc.

to cut, break off, or gouge out (bits or fragments): He chipped a few pieces of ice from the large cube.

to disfigure by breaking off a fragment: to chip the edge of a saucer.

to shape or produce by cutting or flaking away pieces: to chip a figure out of wood.

Games. to bet by means of chips, as in poker.

Tennis. to slice (a ball) on a return shot, causing it to have heavy backspin.

Slang. to take (a narcotic drug) occasionally, especially only in sufficient quantity to achieve a mild euphoria.

Chiefly British Sports. to hit or kick (a ball) a short distance forward.

British Slang. to jeer or criticize severely; deride; taunt.

Australian. to hoe; harrow.

verb (used without object), chipped, chip·ping.

to break off in small pieces.

Golf. to make a chip shot.

Verb Phrases

chip in,

to contribute money or assistance; participate.
Games. to bet a chip or chips, as in poker.
to interrupt a conversation to say something; butt in: We all chipped in with our suggestions for the reunion.

Nearby words

chinwangtao, chiné, chioggia, chionodoxa, chios, chip, chip and dip, chip and pin, chip basket, chip carving, chip graft

Idioms

chip off the old block, a person who resembles one parent in appearance or behavior: His son is just a chip off the old block.

chip on one's shoulder, a disposition to quarrel: You will never make friends if you go around with a chip on your shoulder.

in the chips, Slang. wealthy; rich: Don't look down on your old friends now that you're in the chips.

when the chips are down, in a discouraging or disadvantageous situation; in bad or pressing times: When the chips are down he proves to be a loyal friend.

Origin of chip

1300–50; (noun) Middle English chip (compare Old English cipp plowshare, beam, i.e., piece cut off); (v.) late Middle English chippen (compare Old English -cippian in forcippian to cut off); akin to Middle Low German, Middle Dutch kippen to chip eggs, hatch

Related forms

chip·pa·ble, adjectiveun·chip·pa·ble, adjective

Definition for chips (2 of 3)

chip

[ chip ]

/ tʃɪp /

verb (used without object), chipped, chip·ping.

to utter a short chirping or squeaking sound; cheep.

noun

a short chirping or squeaking cry.

Origin of chip

First recorded in 1880–85; variant of cheep

Definition for chips (3 of 3)

chip

[ chip ]

/ tʃɪp /

noun Wrestling.

a tricky or special method by which an opponent can be thrown.

Origin of chip

1820–30; noun use of chip to trip up; cognate with German kippen to tip over, Old Norse kippa to pull

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for chips

At under 200 pages, the book seems like chips and salsa on the table when you are expecting a four course meal.
Noam Chomsky—Infuriating and Necessary|David Masciotra|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By 6:15, the tented concession stands have run out of sandwiches and chips and are only selling granola bars and soda.
Beyonce, Jay Z & No Doubt Sing to End Global Poverty in Central Park|Caitlin Dickson|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Of course, beyond tasting good, these chips make great platforms—the deep ridges enable them to hold dips effectively.
The Latest in High-Tech Chips||September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“These chips scored some of the highest consumer response scores that we had seen in decades,” said Barber.
The Latest in High-Tech Chips||September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

We treat everyone alike, right up to the starting line of life, and then let the chips fall where they may.
Why Some Americans Are More Equal Than Others|Jedediah Purdy|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An agent who couldn't trust a soldier of his own country, even when the chips were down?
First on the Moon|Jeff Sutton
These readily caught fire, and retained it, and were handy to carry light to a candle or pile of chips.
Home Life in Colonial Days|Alice Morse Earle
Cards, chips, and money were swept as by magic from the board.
The Mucker|Edgar Rice Burroughs
Trompe-la-Mort sneaked their chips, and I know that they have vowed to be the death of him.
Scenes from a Courtesan's Life|Honore de Balzac
The carpenter's bench stood under one of the trees, with shavings and chips all around it.
Joel: A Boy of Galilee|Annie Fellows Johnston

British Dictionary definitions for chips

chip

/ (tʃɪp) /

noun

a small piece removed by chopping, cutting, or breaking

a mark left after a small piece has been chopped, cut, or broken off something

(in some games) a counter used to represent money

a thin strip of potato fried in deep fat

US and Canadian a very thin slice of potato fried and eaten cold as a snackAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): crisp

a small piece or thin slice of food

sport a shot, kick, etc, lofted into the air, esp over an obstacle or an opposing player's head, and travelling only a short distance

electronics a tiny wafer of semiconductor material, such as silicon, processed to form a type of integrated circuit or component such as a transistor

a thin strip of wood or straw used for making woven hats, baskets, etc

NZ a container for soft fruit, made of thin sheets of wood; punnet

cheap as chips British informal inexpensive; good value

chip off the old block informal a person who resembles one of his or her parents in behaviour

have a chip on one's shoulder informal to be aggressively sensitive about a particular thing or bear a grudge

have had one's chips British informal to be defeated, condemned to die, killed, etc

when the chips are down informal at a time of crisis or testing

verb chips, chipping or chipped

to break small pieces from or become broken off in small pieceswill the paint chip?

(tr) to break or cut into small piecesto chip ice

(tr) to shape by chipping

sport to strike or kick (a ball) in a high arc

Derived Forms

chipper, noun

Word Origin for chip

Old English cipp (n), cippian (vb), of obscure origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for chips

chip

[ chĭp ]

See integrated circuit.

Idioms and Phrases with chips

chip

In addition to the idioms beginning with chip

chip and dip
chip in
chip off the old block
chip on one's shoulder

also see:

cash in (one's chips)
in the money (chips)
let the chips fall where they may
when the chips are down