Synonyms

muttonchops

American

[muht-n-chops] / ˈmʌt nˌtʃɒps /

plural noun

side whiskers that are narrow at the temples and broad and trimmed short at the jawline, the chin being shaved both in front and beneath.

muttonchops British

/ ˈmʌtənˌtʃɒps /

plural noun

side whiskers trimmed in the shape of chops, widening out from the temples

"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

Etymology

Origin of muttonchops

1860–65; mutton ¹ + chop ¹ + -s ³; so called from their shape

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.

Asked to elaborate on his character’s gold tooth and muttonchops that made some fans apoplectic—No, they cried, Heathcliff must be hotter!—his patience seems tested.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 30, 2025

Others turn side to side, offering profile views: muttonchops, stripes.

From The New Yorker • Mar. 14, 2019

“And this is the man who received this bible,” he said, tapping a finger on a photo of a man with thick muttonchops and a furrowed brow.

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2018

Meanwhile, the whole office has gone hairy, with more mustaches, muttonchops, and full beards than Pete could shake a pale, hairless jowl at.

From Time • Apr. 8, 2013

As the carriage travels the seven blocks to the theater, Major Rathbone, with his muttonchops and broad mustache, sits facing Lincoln, talking about his experiences in the war.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023