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
The pork chops of my childhood were thin, boneless, and oven-bound — salted and peppered just before they went in, cooked through without much ceremony.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026
Blue Owl touted its technology investing chops for years and helped pioneer private-credit lending to SaaS companies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
The stage puts a spotlight on smack-talk skills, functioning like a gym where wrestlers work out their character muscles, polish their submission holds and perfect their trash-talking chops in front of a panel of judges.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
“Easy enough,” said the Angora, licking her chops.
From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White
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.
