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.
And Colbert got to show off his musical chops.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
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
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
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
“Those chops haven’t done you wrong. Why don’t you let them be?”
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
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.
