chops
Britishplural noun
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the jaws or cheeks; jowls
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the mouth
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slang
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music embouchure
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jazz skill
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informal to anticipate with pleasure
Etymology
Origin of chops
C16: of uncertain origin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Wall Street is licking its chops over an unprecedented slate of massive IPOs set to arrive in the coming months, beginning with Elon Musk's SpaceX in June.
From Barron's • May 17, 2026
They looked for people with design and engineering chops, but who were flexible and could deal with uncertainty.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
It’s the combination of storytelling chops, genuine enthusiasm, and subject matter expertise that makes this film exponentially better than your average band documentary.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026
It played to Black’s physical comedy chops, but something felt off about the execution, especially because of the hard-to-understand dialogue.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
The smell of cabbage was stronger in the hall and pork chops were frying.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
