Definition

Noun: 1. A thin, crisp snack food: A corn chip is a small, thin piece of food made from cornmeal dough that has been fried or baked until crisp. It is typically seasoned and eaten as a snack.

Usage

Corn chips are a common type of snack food. They are often served alone, with dips like salsa or guacamole, or used as a base for dishes like nachos. * She opened a bag of corn chips to serve with the chili. * The recipe calls for crushed corn chips as a topping for the casserole.

Advanced Usage

• As a culinary ingredient: Beyond being a standalone snack, crushed corn chips can be used as a breading for chicken or fish, or as a crunchy layer in casseroles.
  • The chef uses ground corn chips to add texture to the coating.

Variants and Related Words

• Tortilla chip: A closely related snack. While both are made from corn, a tortilla chip is typically made from corn tortillas cut into wedges and then fried, whereas a corn chip is often formed directly from masa dough and has a different shape and texture.
• Cornmeal: The coarse flour made from dried maize (corn) used to make the dough for corn chips.

Synonyms

• Snack chip
• Salty snack (this is a broader category)

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "Chips and dip": A common phrase referring to the snack combination of chips (which can include corn chips) served with a dipping sauce.
  • We're just having chips and dip at the party.

Noun

1. thin piece of cornmeal dough fried