chip

chip

[tʃɪ̱p]
 
 chips, chipping, chipped
 1) N-COUNT: usu pl Chips are long, thin pieces of potato fried in oil or fat and eaten hot, usually with a meal. [BRIT]
  I had fish and chips in a cafe...
  Frank Browne shook more sauce over his chips.(in AM, use French fries)
 2) N-COUNT: usu pl Chips or potato chips are very thin slices of fried potato that are eaten cold as a snack. [AM]
  ...a package of onion-flavored potato chips.(in BRIT, use crisps)
 3) N-COUNT A silicon chip is a very small piece of silicon with electronic circuits on it which is part of a computer or other piece of machinery.
 4) N-COUNT: oft supp N A chip is a small piece of something or a small piece which has been broken off something.
  It contains real chocolate chips...
  He was burning wood chips to make charcoal...
  Teichler's eyes gleamed like chips of blue glass.
 5) N-COUNT A chip in something such as a piece of china or furniture is where a small piece has been broken off it.
  The washbasin had a small chip.
 6) V-ERG If you chip something or if it chips, a small piece is broken off it.
  [V n] The blow chipped the woman's tooth...
  Steel baths are lighter but chip easily.
  Derived words:
  chipped ADJ-GRADED The wagon's paint was badly chipped on the outside... They drank out of chipped mugs.
 7) N-COUNT: usu pl Chips are plastic counters used in gambling to represent money.
  He put the pile of chips in the center of the table and drew a card.
 8) N-COUNT In discussions between people or governments, a chip or a bargaining chip is something of value which one side holds, which can be exchanged for something they want from the other side.
  The information could be used as a bargaining chip to extract some parallel information from Britain...
  He was not expected to be released because he was considered a valuable chip in this game.
 9) → See also blue chip
 10) PHRASE: usu v-link PHR If you describe someone as a chip off the old block, you mean that they are just like one of their parents in character or behaviour.
  Her fifth child was born, a son who Sally at first thought was another chip off the old block.
 11) PHRASE If you say that something happens when the chips are down, you mean it happens when a situation gets very difficult. [INFORMAL]
  When the chips are down, she's very tough.
 12) PHRASE: Ns inflect, usu have/with PHR If you say that someone has a chip on their shoulder, you think that they feel inferior or that they believe they have been treated unfairly. [INFORMAL]
  He had this chip on his shoulder about my mum and dad thinking that they're better than him.
  Phrasal Verbs:
  - chip away at
  - chip in