chip off

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Definition
  1. Verb:
    • To break or cause a small piece to break away from a larger object or mass. This typically refers to a fragment detaching from the edge or surface of something hard or brittle.
Usage
  • The verb "chip off" describes the action where a small piece separates from a main body. It is often used in the context of damage or wear to materials like wood, stone, paint, or teeth. It can be used both transitively (with a direct object) and intransitively (without a direct object).
Examples
  • Transitive use (with an object):
    • Be careful not to chip off the antique paint when you move the dresser.
    • The impact chipped off a piece of the marble countertop.
  • Intransitive use (often as "chip off" or "chip off of"):
    • A large flake of plaster chipped off the ceiling.
    • If you use that metal tool, the enamel might chip off.
Advanced Usage
  • "Chip off the old block": This is an idiom. It is not a direct usage of the verb phrase "chip off" but is a related fixed expression. It means a person (usually a son) who is very similar in character or ability to one of their parents.
    • He's a talented musician just like his father—a real chip off the old block.
Variants and Related Words
  • Chip (verb): The base form, meaning to break a small piece off something.
    • I chipped a tooth on a popcorn kernel.
  • Chipped (adjective): Describing something from which a small piece has broken off.
    • A chipped plate.
  • Chipping (noun/gerund): The process or result of breaking off small pieces.
    • The constant chipping of the ice.
Synonyms
  • Break off: To separate a piece from something by breaking.
  • Flake off: To come off in thin, small pieces (often used for paint or skin).
  • Fragment: To break or cause to break into fragments.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Chip away at: To remove small pieces gradually from something, often through persistent effort.
    • We chipped away at the old mortar with a chisel.
    • She chipped away at the large project by working on it every day.
Related Idioms
  • Chip off the old block: (As mentioned in Advanced Usage) A person who closely resembles a parent in character or habits.
    • With his love for engineering, he's a chip off the old block.
Verb
  1. break off (a piece from a whole)
    • Her tooth chipped

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