chipping

Thân thiện

A gardener is chipping away at an old tree stump with an axe.

Definition

Noun: - The act of breaking a small piece off from something, or the result of such an action: "Chipping" refers to the process or action of causing a small fragment to break away from a hard material like stone, wood, or glass. It can also refer to the fragment itself that has been broken off.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The constant chipping of the old paint revealed the wood beneath. (The repeated breaking off of small pieces of paint showed the wood underneath.)
  • Careful chipping away at the marble block slowly formed the sculpture. (The careful removal of small pieces from the marble block gradually created the sculpture.)
  • The plate had several small chippings along its edge. (The plate had several small broken fragments missing from its rim.)

Advanced Usage

• "Chipping away at": To gradually and persistently reduce or diminish something through small, repeated efforts.
  • She is chipping away at her student loan debt by making extra payments. (She is gradually reducing the total amount of her student loan.)
• In specialized contexts: In sports like golf or soccer (football), "chipping" is a specific technique for striking the ball to make it fly a short, lofted distance.
  • His accurate chipping around the green saved him several strokes. (His skillful short, lofted golf shots near the green prevented him from taking extra strokes.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chip (noun): A small piece that has been broken off.
  • A chip of glass.
• Chip (verb): To break a small piece off something.
  • I chipped the cup when I dropped it.
• Chippy (adjective, informal): Easily irritated or aggressive.
  • He was feeling chippy after the long argument. (Note: This is a different, idiomatic meaning unrelated to the act of breaking fragments.)

Synonyms

• Flaking: Coming off in thin, small pieces.
• Fragmentation: The process of breaking into fragments.
• Splintering: Breaking into long, thin, sharp pieces (often for wood).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Chip in: To contribute money or help to a common cause.
  • Everyone chipped in to buy a gift. (This phrasal verb is idiomatic and not directly related to the physical act of chipping.)
• Chip away at: As defined in Advanced Usage above.

Related Idioms

• 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. (This idiom uses "chip" metaphorically and is not directly about the act of chipping.)

Học thuật

Noun

1. the act of chipping something

Từ đồng nghĩa

• chip
• splintering