chop

¹ American  

[chop] / tʃɒp /

verb (used with object)

chopped, chopping

1. to cut or sever with a quick, heavy blow or a series of blows, using an ax, hatchet, etc. (often followed by down, off, etc.).

   to chop down a tree.

2. to make or prepare for use by so cutting.

   to chop logs.

3. to cut in pieces; mince (often followed byup ).

   to chop up an onion; to chop meat.

4. (in tennis, cricket, etc.) to hit (a ball) with a chop stroke.

5. to weed and thin out (growing cotton) with a hoe.

6. Fox Hunting. (of a hound or pack) to attack and kill (a fox that has not begun to run).

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verb (used without object)

chopped, chopping

1. to make a quick, heavy stroke or a series of strokes, as with an ax.

2. Boxing. to throw or deliver a short blow, especially a downward one while in a clinch.

3. (in tennis, cricket, etc.) to employ or deliver a chop stroke.

4. to go, come, or move suddenly or violently.

noun

1. an act or instance of chopping.

2. a cutting blow.

3. Boxing. a short blow, especially a downward one, executed while in a clinch.

4. a piece chopped off.

5. an individual cut or portion of meat, as mutton, lamb, veal, or pork, usually one containing a rib.

6. crushed or ground grain used as animal feed.

7. a short, irregular, broken motion of waves; choppiness.

   There's too much chop for rowing today.

8. rough, turbulent water, as of a sea or lake.

9. (in tennis, cricket, etc.) a chop stroke.

idioms

1. chop / cut down to size. cut.

chop ² American  

[chop] / tʃɒp /

verb (used without object)

chopped, chopping

1. to turn, shift, or change suddenly.

   The wind chopped to the west.

2. to keep alternating between two states, positions, etc.; vacillate.

   The grain markets are chopping back and forth day to day because of the uncertain weather forecast.

3. Obsolete.

   1. to barter.

   2. to bandy words; argue.

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idioms

1. chop logic,

   1. to reason or dispute combatively, often by making unnecessary distinctions or spurious arguments.

      These men were forced by circumstances to think out how to deal with reality, instead of chopping logic in a university classroom.

      He chops logic so you won’t notice that he really has no case.

   2. reasoning that involves unnecessary distinctions or spurious arguments; rationalization.

      The court dismissed his defense as “chop logic of the most deceptive kind.”

2. chop and change, to keep shifting views, plans, practices, etc..

   People felt the government was chopping and changing too much on policy commitments.

chop ³ American  

[chop] / tʃɒp /

noun

1. Usually chops Also

   1. the jaw.

   2. the lower part of the cheek; the flesh over the lower jaw.

2. chops,

   1. the oral cavity; mouth.

   2. Slang. the embouchure or technique necessary to play a wind instrument.

   3. Slang. musical ability or virtuosity on any instrument, especially in playing jazz or rock.

   4. Slang. the music or musical part played by an instrumentalist, especially a solo passage.

   5. Slang. ability, talent, or skill, as in an occupation or activity.

      He began auditioning for roles in which he would get the chance to prove his acting chops.

3. an entranceway, as into a body of water.

4. Horology. either of two pieces clasping the end of the suspension spring of a pendulum.

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idioms

1. bust one's chops, to exert oneself.

2. lick one's chops, to await with pleasure; anticipate; relish.

   He was already licking his chops over the expected inheritance.

3. bust someone's chops, to annoy with nagging or criticism.

   Stop busting my chops—I'll get the job done.

chop ⁴ American  

[chop] / tʃɒp /

noun

1. an official stamp or seal, or a permit or clearance, especially as formerly used in India and China.

2. a design, corresponding to a brand or trademark, stamped on goods to indicate their identity or quality.

3. the signature stamp of an artist, printmaker, etc., testifying to the authenticity of a work.

4. quality, class, or grade.

   a musician of the first chop.

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chop ¹ British  

/ tʃɒp /

verb

1. to cut (something) with a blow from an axe or other sharp tool

2. (tr) to produce or make in this manner

   to chop firewood

3. to cut into pieces

4. informal (tr) to dispense with or reduce

5. (intr) to move quickly or violently

6. sport to hit (a ball) sharply downwards

7. boxing martial arts to punch or strike (an opponent) with a short sharp blow

8. an informal word for eat

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noun

1. a cutting blow

2. the act or an instance of chopping

3. a piece chopped off

4. a slice of mutton, lamb, or pork, generally including a rib

5. slang a share (esp in the phrase get or hop in for one's chop )

6. an informal word for food

7. a competition of skill and speed in chopping logs

8. sport a sharp downward blow or stroke

9. informal not much good; poor

10. slang dismissal from employment

chop ² British  

/ tʃɒp /

verb

1. (intr) to change direction suddenly; vacillate (esp in the phrase chop and change )

2. obsolete to barter

3. to use excessively subtle or involved logic or argument

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chop ³ British  

/ tʃɒp /

noun

1. a design stamped on goods as a trademark, esp in the Far East

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Usage

What is a basic definition of chop? Chop means to cut something with heavy blows or to cut something into pieces. Chop also refers to a piece of something that was chopped or a fast, downward blow in boxing or martial arts. Chop has many other senses as a verb and a noun. Chop is frequently followed by down, off, or another preposition. When something is chopped, it is struck with a sharp tool in order to cut it into pieces or completely destroy it. A person or thing that chops is called a chopper.

• Real-life examples: Lumberjacks chop down trees with axes or hatchets. A barber will chop off your hair with scissors. Firefighters might have to chop through a door with an axe in order to rescue someone.
• Used in a sentence: I helped my dad chop down a Christmas tree.  

Chop can also mean to cut something into pieces or slices. Unless it is referring to food, chop is almost always followed by the word up in this sense.

• Real-life examples: Butchers chop meat. Chefs will chop onions, carrots, celery, and many other ingredients. A person might chop up furniture in order to make it easier to throw away or burn.
• Used in a sentence: I chopped up a tomato and added it to my salad. 

A chop is a piece of something that has been chopped off of something else. This sense often refers to a slice or cut of meat.

• Real-life examples: Most grocery stores sell pork chops and lamb chops. You might feed your dog chops of beef.
• Used in a sentence: I watched the zookeepers feed the tigers big chops of meat. 

In boxing and martial arts, a chop is a quick, heavy blow that is usually delivered downward. You may be familiar with this sense because of the common use of karate chops as an attack in popular culture.

• Used in a sentence: Nia is able to perform a powerful chop that can cut through a stack of wood. 

Synonym Usage

See cut.

Etymology

Origin of chop¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English choppen; variant of chap ¹

Origin of chop²

First recorded in 1425–75; variant of obsolete chap “barter,” Middle English chappen (with vowel as in chapman ), chepen, Old English cēapian “to trade” (derivative of cēap “sale, trade”; see cheap)

Origin of chop³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; perhaps special use of chop ¹

Origin of chop⁴

First recorded in 1605–15, chop is from the Hindi word chāp “impression, stamp”

Explanation

To chop is to cut something by hacking at it. In many places, there are farms where you can chop down your own Christmas tree. When you chop wood, you usually hit it with an axe, splitting each length into narrow pieces. A chef uses a knife to chop, hacking an onion into tiny bits, for example. When it's a piece of meat that's cut so it's attached to a bone, such as part of a rib, it can be described as a chop — like a lamb chop. And if someone claps his hands at you and says, "Chop-chop!" he means "Hurry up!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chop chopped chopping

"There's a real concern that the researchers that use those radio telescopes will be the people that get the chop," Morgan said.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Directions Roughly chop or lightly crush some of the capers with the side of a fork, leaving plenty whole for texture.

From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026

About five years ago, community members caught wind of plans to chop down towering redwoods within Jackson, near the coastal town of Caspar.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026

“Its structure is ideal for the age of TikTok in that you can easily chop it up into little pieces.”

From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026

When he texted his friends and his mom back, he felt a little proud to tell them he was able to chop wood and haul water—things they couldn’t do.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Andy Pages chopped a slow bouncer up the middle, and Turner charged.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Cook the finely chopped kataifi pastry dough in a teaspoon of butter until golden-brown.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

Smash burgers and chopped cheese sandwiches made from prime Angus beef.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

In July 2025, the two men who chopped down the Sycamore Gap tree, which was valued at £450,000, were jailed for four years and three months.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

He whimpers, begging Axel to leave the chopped tree for a better adventure.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

Commercial processing can magnify certain food-safety risks, including chopping and shredding in large facilities where a single contaminated leaf can mix with other produce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

She has now been competing in logrolling for 28 years and began sawing and chopping more recently.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

At one of Snabbit's training hubs in the southern tech hub of Bengaluru, workers rehearse tasks such as chopping vegetables against the clock.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

This is a dinner built for the evenings when the very idea of chopping an onion feels like one task too many.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

“I can start chopping wood into boards tomorrow,” Leo said.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• cleave
• cube
• divide
• hack
• mince
• slash
• whack