Definition

1. Noun:

   • A man or boy; a fellow: An informal, friendly, or slightly old-fashioned term for a male person.
   • A sore crack or split in the skin: A painful fissure, especially on the lips or hands, often caused by exposure to cold or dry weather.

2. Verb:

   • To crack or split open: For skin or a surface to become rough, dry, and cracked, typically due to cold weather, dryness, or exposure.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Person):

  • He's a friendly chap.
  • I met an interesting chap at the conference.

• Noun (Skin Condition):

  • The cold wind gave me a painful chap on my lip.
  • She uses balm to prevent chaps on her hands in winter.

• Verb:

  • If you don't wear gloves, your hands will chap.
  • The desert sun can chap your skin severely.

Advanced Usage

• "Old chap": A very traditional, affectionate term of address for a man, implying familiarity and friendliness.

  • Cheer up, old chap! Things will get better.

• "Chap's" (as a contraction): Informal possessive form of 'chap' (the person).

  • That chap's car is parked in my spot. (Meaning: That fellow's car...)

Variants and Related Words

• Chapped (adjective): Describing skin that is cracked and sore.

  • Her chapped lips needed medicated balm.

• Chapping (noun/gerund): The process or result of becoming chapped.

  • Chapping is a common problem in dry climates.

Synonyms

• Noun (Person): Fellow, guy, bloke (UK informal), lad.
• Noun (Crack): Fissure, crack, split.
• Verb: Crack, split, roughen.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: 'Chap' is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its verbal use is typically intransitive or passive.)

Related Idioms

• To be chapped: To be irritated or annoyed (slang, derived from the physical condition).
  • I was really chapped when I missed the bus.
• Lick one's chaps: An old idiom meaning to show eagerness or anticipation (from an older, now rare noun 'chap' meaning jaw or cheek).
  • He was licking his chaps at the thought of the feast.

Noun

1. (usually in the plural) leather leggings without a seat; joined by a belt; often have flared outer flaps; worn over trousers by cowboys to protect their legs
2. a crack in a lip caused usually by cold
3. a long narrow depression in a surface
4. a boy or man
   • that chap is your host
   • there's a fellow at the door
   • he's a likable cuss
   • he's a good bloke

Verb

1. crack due to dehydration
   • My lips chap in this dry weather