chips
chips
Pronunciation
IPA Phonetic Spelling:
/tʃɪps/
Syllable Breakdown:
chips
/tʃ/ - voiceless palato-alveolar affricate
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/p/ - voiceless bilabial plosive
/s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative
Word Form Variations
Singular: chip
Plural: chips
Verb (base form): chip
Verb (past tense): chipped
Verb (present participle): chipping
Verb (past participle): chipped
Adjective: chippy, chipped
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A thin, fried slice of potato or other root vegetable, often served as a snack or side dish.
Synonyms: crisp (British English), French fry, fry, potato chip
Antonyms: N/A (as this is a specific food item)
A small, broken-off piece or fragment of a harder material, such as wood, stone, or glass.
Synonyms: flake, sliver, shard, splinter
Antonyms: whole, chunk, block
An electronic component, typically a small, thin piece of semiconductor material, that contains integrated circuits.
Synonyms: microchip, integrated circuit, silicon chip
Antonyms: N/A (as this is a specific technological component)
Verb
To break off a small piece from the edge or surface of something.
Synonyms: nick, flake, splinter, crack
Antonyms: repair, mend, build
To hit or strike a ball in a sport, such as golf, in a short, lofted manner to make it travel a short distance.
Synonyms: lob, flick, pitch, scoop
Antonyms: drive, putt, smash
(informal, transitive) To contribute to a common fund or cause.
Synonyms: contribute, donate, pool, pitch in
Antonyms: withhold, take, hoard, withdraw
Examples of Use
Online Publication: "Google is reportedly developing its own ARM-based server chips to rival those from Intel and AMD" (Reuters, October 2021).
Newspaper: "The U.K. could face a crisis of conscience over the future of its nuclear deterrent if the supply of American-made chips is interrupted" (The Guardian, June 2024).
Book: "He sat at the kitchen table, methodically dipping his chips into the small puddle of ketchup on his plate, ignoring the clamor of the television" (from Normal People by Sally Rooney, 2018).
Film: A character in the movie A Star Is Born says, "I just want to sit here and eat some fish and chips with you" (Warner Bros. Pictures, 2018).
Public Discourse: During a political discussion about international trade, a politician might say, "We need to invest more in our domestic production of semiconductor chips to ensure national security."
Music: The song "Chips Ahoy!" by The Hold Steady is a notable example of the word being used in a title and lyrics (Vagrant Records, 2008).
Television: On an episode of the show The Great British Bake Off, a contestant might be critiqued for having "chipped" the edge of their dessert while removing it from the pan.
10 Famous Quotes Using Chips
"I'm just going to do what I want now, and let the chips fall where they may." - Stephenie Meyer
"People who say, 'Let the chips fall where they may,' usually figure they will not be hit by a chip." - Bernard Williams
"A novelist has to create the piece of marble and then then chip away to find the figure in it." - Chaim Potok
"The English contribution to world cuisine: the chip." - John Cleese
"If you like to eat potato chips and chew pork chops on clipper ships, I suggest that you chew a few chips and a chop at Skipper Zipp's Clipper Ship Chip Chop Shop." - Dr. Seuss
"Murder is like potato chips: you can't stop with just one." - Stephen King
"I'm a big potato chip girl. I don't like chocolate and cakes and all that, but I have to have my potato chips." - NeNe Leakes
"I despise formal restaurants. I find all of that formality to be very base and vile. I would much rather eat potato chips on the sidewalk." - Werner Herzog
"Government bailouts are like potato chips: you can't stop with just one." - Thomas Sowell
"I think it's my adventure, my trip, my journey, and I guess my attitude is, let the chips fall where they may." - Leonard Nimoy
Etymology
The word "chips" comes from the Old English word "cipp," which meant a small piece of wood or a shaving from a piece of wood. It's believed to have roots in a verb meaning "to cut" or "to shave off."
The first known use of "chip" was in the 14th century, where it was primarily used to describe a small, thin piece of wood, stone, or other hard material that had been broken or cut off. Over time, the meaning of the word expanded to include other things that were small pieces of a larger whole.
This is how we get the various modern uses of "chips" today:
Wood chips are still small pieces broken off from wood.
Fish and chips get their name from the fact that the potato pieces are "chipped" or cut from a larger potato.
Computer chips are named because they are tiny, flat pieces of silicon cut from a larger wafer.
The phrase "to chip in" originally referred to each person contributing a small piece or "chip" to a larger pile.
The phrase "let the chips fall where they may" comes from woodworking, where a craftsman would focus on their work and not worry about where the wood chips landed.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Chips
Let the chips fall where they may: To let a situation unfold without trying to control the outcome.
A chip off the old block: A child who resembles their parent in character or appearance.
Chip on one's shoulder: To have a grudge or be resentful about something.
To chip in: To contribute money, effort, or an opinion to a common cause.
In the chips: To be wealthy or have a lot of money.
When the chips are down: When a situation becomes difficult or critical.
To chip away at something: To gradually reduce or diminish something.
To chip a tooth: To break off a small piece of a tooth.
Poker chips: A token used in place of money in poker and other gambling games.
Blue-chip stock: A high-quality, reliable stock of a well-established company.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of chips from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
