chip

/tʃip/

Definition

Noun:
- A small piece broken or cut off from a hard material: A fragment that has come away from a larger object, such as wood, stone, or glass.
- A mark or flaw left where such a small piece has broken away: A place on an object where a small piece is missing.
- A thin, crisp slice of food, typically potato, fried until crunchy: A common snack food.
- A small disk used as a counter, especially in gambling: A token representing money in games like poker.
- A tiny piece of semiconductor material carrying an integrated circuit: A microchip; the central component of electronic devices.
- A short, lofted golf shot: A low approach shot to the green.
- (Informal) A piece of dried dung.
Verb:
- To break a small piece off from the edge or surface of something: To cause a fragment to detach, often accidentally.
- To shape or engrave by breaking off small pieces: To work on a hard material like stone or wood by chipping.
- To play a chip shot in golf: To hit the ball with a short, lofted stroke.
- (Of a material) To become damaged by losing a small fragment: To break at the edge.

Examples of Usage

Noun:
- There was a chip in the edge of the plate. (A small piece was missing from the plate.)
- He ate a bag of potato chips. (He ate fried potato slices.)
- The poker player pushed all his chips into the center. (He bet all his gambling tokens.)
- The computer's processor is a powerful chip. (The integrated circuit is powerful.)
Verb:
- Be careful not to chip the paint. (Be careful not to break off a piece of the paint.)
- The sculptor chipped away at the marble block. (The sculptor shaped the marble by removing small pieces.)
- She chipped the ball onto the green. (She played a short golf shot onto the green.)
- The porcelain vase chips easily. (The vase is prone to breaking at the edges.)

Advanced Usage

"A chip off the old block": A person who closely resembles a parent in character or abilities.
- He's a great mechanic, a real chip off the old block. (He is very similar to his skilled father.)
"To have a chip on one's shoulder": To be habitually angry, defensive, or resentful, often due to a sense of inferiority or past grievance.
- He's always arguing; he seems to have a chip on his shoulder. (He seems to carry a grudge and is easily provoked.)
"When the chips are down": When a situation is critical or at its most difficult point.
- You can rely on her when the chips are down. (You can count on her in a crisis.)

Variants and Related Words

Microchip (n): A very small chip, especially an integrated circuit.
- The pet has a microchip for identification.
Chippy (adj, informal): Easily irritated or aggressive.
- He was feeling tired and chippy.
Chipping (n): The act or result of breaking off small pieces; also, small fragments collectively.
- The path was covered in gravel and stone chippings.

Synonyms

Noun: Fragment, shard, splinter, flake, token, microchip, crisp (UK for potato chip).
Verb: Nick, crack, splinter, flake, engrave.

Related Phrasal Verbs

Chip in:
- To contribute money to a joint fund.
  - Everyone chipped in to buy a gift.
- To interrupt a conversation with a comment.
  - He chipped in with a useful suggestion.
Chip away at:
- To remove small pieces gradually.
  - He chipped away at the ice on the windshield.
- To gradually and persistently reduce or undermine something.
  - The investigation chipped away at his credibility.

Related Idioms

"Cash in one's chips": To die; or to convert one's assets into cash, especially after a success.
- After winning the tournament, he decided to cash in his chips and retire.
"Let the chips fall where they may": To allow events to happen without trying to control the outcome.
- I've told the truth; now I'll let the chips fall where they may.
"Blue chip": Denoting companies or stocks considered to be a reliable investment.
- She invests only in blue-chip stocks.

Noun

the act of chipping something
(golf) a low running approach shot
electronic equipment consisting of a small crystal of a silicon semiconductor fabricated to carry out a number of electronic functions in an integrated circuit
a small disk-shaped counter used to represent money when gambling
a mark left after a small piece has been chopped or broken off of something
a thin crisp slice of potato fried in deep fat
a piece of dried bovine dung
a triangular wooden float attached to the end of a log line
a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
- a bit of rock caught him in the eye

Verb

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