chip

CHIP/t͡ʃɪp/

36 meanings of chip

1
nouncountable
A small bit that breaks off something hard, like wood or stone.
Like a crumb that breaks off a cookie.
A chip of stone flew off when the hammer struck the wall.
Wood chips covered the workshop floor.
Similarpiece, bit, fragment, flake, scrap
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2
nounAustraliaCanadaNew ZealandUScountableplural
A thin slice of potato fried until hard and crunchy, eaten as a snack.
She opened a bag of chips to share at the party.
This chip was too salty for me.
Similarcrisp
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3
nouncountable
A tiny piece of material that holds an electronic circuit, used inside computers and phones.
Like a tiny city of switches and roads built onto something smaller than your fingernail.
A single tiny chip runs the whole calculator.
Modern phones pack billions of transistors onto one chip.
Similarmicrochip, IC
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4
nouncountable
A small spot where a piece has broken off and left a mark.
There's a chip in the rim of this mug.
The car door had several chips in the paint.
Similarnick, notch, flaw
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5
nouncountable
A small round piece used instead of money when playing games like poker.
Like using a ticket at a fair instead of money to play the games.
He placed a red chip on number seven and waited for the wheel to stop.
She traded her cash for a pile of chips at the counter.
Similartoken, counter
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6
verbintransitive
To lose a small piece from being knocked, worn, or struck.
Like old paint slowly peeling off a wall.
Old enamel pans chip if you scrub them too hard.
The plate chipped along the edge when it slipped.
Similarcrack, break, flake, splinter
7
verbtransitive
To break small pieces off something hard.
Workers chip the old mortar from between the bricks.
She chipped a corner off the marble slab.
Similarnick, chisel, hack, notch
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8
verbtransitive
To cut or chop something into small bits.
They chip the fallen branches into mulch for the garden.
She chipped the potatoes before frying them.
Similarchop, shred, cut, mulch
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9
nouncountable
A small, droplet-shaped piece of food, often chocolate, baked into cookies and other treats.
She stirred a cup of chocolate chips into the dough.
Every cookie had at least one chip in each bite.
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10
verbcolloquialtransitive
To put a tiny identifying tag under an animal's skin.
Most shelters chip their animals before sending them home.
The vet chipped the puppy during its first visit.
Similarmicrochip, tag

11
nounarchaicAustraliaIrelandNew ZealandUK
A thick strip of potato cooked in hot oil, what Americans call a fry.
We bought fish and chips wrapped in paper.
I always say the best way to judge an establishment is by its chips because if you can’t master that, what can you do?
2023, Billie Schwab Dunn, “I Tried Wetherspoons Food for the First Time-I Feared I'd Get Scurvy...”Here, chips means french fries, strips of fried potato.
Similarfries, fry
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12
nouncountable
Even a very small amount of something.
He didn't care a chip for their opinion.
There isn't a chip of truth in that rumor.
Similarshred, scrap, iota, trace, bit
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13
nouncountable
A short, low golf shot that flies a little way, then rolls toward the hole.
Her chip landed softly and rolled close to the pin.
He practiced short chips around the green for an hour.
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14
verbtransitive
To hit a golf ball with a short, low shot toward the hole.
She chipped the ball neatly onto the green.
Players chip the ball when they need it to land softly.
Similarloft, pitch
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15
nouncountable
A kick that sends the ball high into the air, often to lift it over a player.
His chip sailed over the goalkeeper for a stunning goal.
A few well-timed chips beat the high defensive line.
Similarlob
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16
verbtransitive
To beat a player by gently lifting the ball over their head.
Like tossing a ball softly over someone's hands instead of throwing it straight at them.
The striker chipped the goalkeeper and scored an easy goal.
Good forwards chip the keeper whenever he rushes out too far.
Similarlob
17
verbtransitive
To hit a ball a short way using a glancing, angled touch.
Like flicking a coin a short way with a quick tap instead of sliding it far.
He chipped the cue ball with a light angled tap, dropping the red into the corner pocket.
Players chip the ball with a soft sideways touch to move it just a little.
Similarnudge
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18
nouncountable
A soft tennis shot hit with downward spin, usually from near the net.
Like brushing your hand down across a ball so it spins and drops quickly.
She played a delicate chip that dropped just over the net.
His backhand chip caught the opponent off guard.
Similarslice
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19
nouncountable
A small printed square of color used to pick or match colors, or the same thing on a screen.
Like a small paint sample card you hold up to see if a color matches.
She held the paint chip against the wall to check the color.
Designers compare chips to find the right shade.
Similarswatch, sample
20
nouncountable
A tiny device built into a flat base that holds electronic parts and other small working parts.
Like a tiny city of parts packed onto something smaller than your fingernail.
The phone's main chip handles almost everything it does.
Modern cars contain dozens of chips.
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21
verbtransitive
To change a car's engine computer to make it more powerful.
Like changing a game's settings to make a character stronger.
He chipped his car to get more speed.
Tuners chip engines to boost performance.
Similarremap, tune
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22
nouncountable
A very soft shot that just nudges a ball into a pocket while keeping the cue ball out.
Like tapping a marble so gently it just topples into a hole.
She potted the last ball with a soft chip.
His chip barely moved the object ball, but it dropped cleanly.
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23
nouncountable
In curling, a shot that hits a stone at an angle to knock it aside.
Like hitting a ball off-center so it rolls sideways instead of straight.
Her chip clipped the edge of the opposing stone and rolled it out.
The skip called for a chip to remove the corner guard.
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24
nouncountable
A small round metal piece worn on a chain, like a medallion.
Like a big round pendant worn on a chain to show off.
He wore a gold chip on a heavy chain.
She admired the chips hanging in the jeweler's window.
Similarmedallion, pendant
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25
verbUKtransitive
To give money or help as your share toward something.
Can everyone chip in two pounds for Sam's birthday cake?
My brother chipped in ten pounds toward the new TV.
Similarcontribute, donate, give
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26
verbintransitive
In card games, to put money into the pot before play starts.
Like paying a small entry fee before you can join the game.
Everyone chipped before the first hand was dealt.
Players chip at the start of each round.
Similarante
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27
verbslangUKintransitive
To leave or go away quickly.
Like quietly walking out the door before anyone sees you go.
He chipped before anyone noticed he was gone.
Let's chip before it gets busy.
Similarleave, split, bolt, scram
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28
noundialectalNew ZealandNortherncountable
A small basket or box used to hold strawberries or other fruit.
We bought our strawberries in a plastic chip at the Saturday market.
The stall stacked chips of ripe berries by the scales.
Similarpunnet
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29
noundatedcountable
An old British gold coin worth one pound, the sovereign.
Like having a valuable old gold coin tucked away in your pocket.
He paid off the debt with a single chip.
She kept a few chips hidden in a drawer.
Similarsovereign
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30
verbtransitive
To tease someone or make jokes at their expense.
Like joking about a friend to make everyone laugh.
His brothers always chip him about his haircut.
She chipped him gently for being late again.
Similartease, mock, rib, needle, taunt
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31
noun
A hard, dry lump of animal droppings that people burn.
32
noun
The flat wooden piece on a line used to measure a ship's speed.
33
noun
Thin strips of wood, leaf or straw used to make hats.
34
nounarchaic
Something dry and without any taste.
35
verbdialectal
To cut or shape something with a chisel.
36
verbdialectal
To work with a chisel, a sharp tool for cutting wood or stone.

Practice

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Origin

From Old English "cipp," meaning a chip or small piece of wood, linked to an old word meaning to cut or hew.