chip

See also: CHIP, ChIP, Chip, CHiP, and chíp

English

Pronunciation

  • enPR: chĭp, IPA(key): /t͡ʃɪp/, [t͡ʃʰɪp]
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Audio (Australia):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪp

Etymology 1

Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *kippōną
Proto-West Germanic *kippōn
Old English *ċippiander.
Old English ċipp
Middle English chippe
English chip

    Noun from Middle English chip, chippe, from Old English ċipp (“chip; small piece of wood, shaving”), from Old English *ċippian (“to cut; hew”) – attested in Old English forċippian (“to cut off”) –, from Proto-West Germanic *kippōn (“to cut; carve; hack; chop”), from Proto-Germanic *kippōną (“to chip, chop”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵeyb- (“to split; divide; germinate; sprout”). Related to Dutch kip, keep (“notch; nick; score”), Dutch kippen (“to hatch”), German Low German kippen (“to cut; clip; trim; shorten”), German kipfen (“to chop off the tip; snip”), Old Swedish kippa (“to chop”). Compare also chop.

    The formally similar Old English ċipp, ċypp, ċyp (“a beam; log; stock; post”), from Proto-Germanic *kippaz (“log; beam”) (whence Old Saxon kip (“post”), Old High German kipfa, chipfa (“axle, stave”), Old Norse keppr (“cudgel, club”)) is a different, unrelated word either borrowed from Latin cippus (“stake; pale; post”) or borrowed from the same source language as the Latin.

    Verb from Middle English chippen, from Old English *ċippian (“to cut; hew”) – attested in Old English forċippian (“to cut off”) – see above.

    Noun

    A computer chip.
    A plate of potato chips (UK).
    A pile of potato chips (US).
    A bowl of chocolate chips.
    Cards and chips at a gaming table.

    chip (plural chips)

    1. A small piece broken from a larger piece of solid material.
      Synonyms: flake, fragment; see also Thesaurus:piece
      The floor of the sculptor's studio was strewn with chips of marble.
    2. A damaged area of a surface where a small piece has been broken off.
      This cup has a chip in it.
    4. (games, gambling) A token used in place of cash.
      Hypernym: check
      • 2002, Albert H. Moorehead, Hoyle′s Rules of Games, page 46:
        If the second player does raise three chips, and all the other players drop, the player who opened may stay in by putting three more chips in the pot, for then he will have put in precisely as many chips as the second player.
    5. A medallion.
      • 2023, Thomas Thurnell-Read, Mark Monaghan, Intoxication: Self, State and Society, page 135:
        AA chips showing duration of abstinence (6 months)
    6. (slang, dated) A sovereign (the coin).
    8. (electronics) A circuit fabricated in one piece on a small, thin substrate; a microchip.
      Synonyms: IC, integrated circuit, microchip, silicon chip
      • 1986 September 1, Tom Moran, Lisa L. Spiegelman, New Chip Said to Contain Seven PC AT Chip Functions, InfoWorld, page 5,
        But sources close to the company said the chip contains two direct memory access controllers, two interrupt controllers, a timer, a memory mapper from Texas Instruments, and a Motorola Inc. real-time clock.
    9. (electronics) A hybrid device mounted in a substrate, containing electronic circuitry and miniaturised mechanical, chemical or biochemical devices.
      • 2002, Koji Ikuta, Atsushi Takahashi, Kota Ikeda, Shoji Maruo, User-Assembly Fully Integrated Micro Chemical Laboratory Using Biochemical IC Chips for Wearable/Implantable Applications, Yoshinobu Baba, Shuichi Shoji, Albert van den Berg (editors), Micro Total Analysis Systems 2002: Proceedings of the μTAS 2002 Symposium, Volume 1, page 38,
        Fig. 4(a) shows a schematic design of the micropump chip.
      • 2007, Elisabeth S. Papazoglou, Aravind Parthasarathy, Bionanotechnology, page 6:
        Fig. 0.3 is an image of the front and back views of a drug delivery microchip made of silicon and painted with gold, with a U.S. dime (10 cents). The chip in the picture consists of 34 nano-sized wells each of which is capable of housing 24 nl (nano liters) of drug. It is possible to make at least 400 wells or even 1000 or more in these chips which are very inexpensive, costing less tham $20 [22, 23].
    10. (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, archaic in Canada, usually in the plural) A deep-fried strip of potato; see also usage note at French fries.
      Synonyms: fries, (mainly North America) fry, (mainly North America) French fry
      Do you want ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise on your chips?
      Fish and chips is a traditional British dish.
    11. (US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, especially in the plural) A thin, crisp, fried slice of potato, a crisp; occasionally a similar fried slice of another vegetable or dried fruit.
      Synonym: (UK, Ireland) crisp
      They made their own potato chips from scratch... He ate a tortilla chip with guac... served with a side of apple chips...
    12. A type of shot in various sports.
      1. (sports such as soccer) A shot during which the ball travels more predominantly upwards than in a regular shot, as to clear an obstacle.
        • 2011 September 28, Tom Rostance, “Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiakos”, in BBC Sport‎[2], archived from the original on 5 November 2011:
          Oxlade-Chamberlain saw his attempted chip well blocked by goalkeeper Costanzo at the start of the second half.
      2. (tennis) A light shot with a downward slice, usually played from close to the net.
      3. (golf) A low shot, usually played at short range around and onto a green, intended to travel a short distance through the air and roll the remainder of the way towards the hole.
      4. (billiards) A very light shot that hits the cue ball so softly that it barely moves an object ball into a pocket without the cue ball going in as well.
      5. (curling) A takeout that hits a rock at an angle.
    13. A dried piece of dung, often used as fuel.
    14. (New Zealand, northern) A receptacle, usually for strawberries or other fruit.
      Synonyms: (British, New Zealand, Australia) punnet, (New Zealand, southern) pottle
    15. (cooking) A small, near-conical piece of food added in baking.
      chocolate chip
    16. A small often rectangular patch of colour printed on coated paper, or displayed on a screen, for colour selection and matching.
    17. (graphical user interface) Synonym of pill (“rounded rectangle containing a brief text caption”).
    18. (nautical) The triangular piece of wood attached to the log line.
    19. (historical) Wood or Cuban palm leaf split into slips, or straw plaited in a special manner, for making hats or bonnets.
    20. (archaic, derogatory) Anything dried up, withered, or without flavour.
    21. The smallest amount; a whit or jot.
    22. A small basket used for packaging fruit.
    Usage notes
    • In New Zealand and Australia, where the term chip(s) can refer to either French fried potatoes or deep-fried potato slices, the dishes are distinguished as "hot chips" (French fried potatoes) or, in New Zealand, "cold chips" (deep-fried potato slices) when clarity is needed.
    • See notes at fry regarding the British usage of chips and fries.
    Derived terms
    Descendants
    Descendants
    Translations
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked
    See also

    Verb

    chip (third-person singular simple present chips, present participle chipping, simple past and past participle chipped)

    1. (transitive) To chop or cut into small pieces.
      The workers chipped the dead branches into mulch.
    2. (transitive) To break small pieces from.
      Be careful not to chip the paint.
    3. (intransitive) To become chipped.
      This varnish chips easily.
    4. (transitive, dialectal) To chisel (something), to chisel on (something).
      The fitter was chipping and filing a workpiece clamped in his vise.
    5. (intransitive, dialectal) To use a chisel.
      The fitters were chipping and filing furiously to meet their deadline.
    6. (transitive, sports) To strike or play (the ball or other implement) as a chip shot.
      • 2014 October 18, Paul Doyle, “Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎[3], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 13 October 2026:
        Koeman identified Southampton’s third as their finest goal of the game. Jack Cork, the most underrated player at a much-lauded club, swept the ball out wide to Tadic, who waited for Cork to run to the back post before chipping the ball across to him to slam in a deserved goal from close range, despite an attempted block by Vito Mannone.
    7. (transitive, sports such as soccer) To beat (an opposing player) by use of a chip shot, such as by looping the ball over the head of the opposing goalkeeper.
      • 2016 March 13, Andy Edwards, “VIDEO: San Jose’s Quincy Amarikwa chips, goes upper-90 from 35 yards out”, in NBCSports.com‎[4], archived from the original on 14 May 2023:
        Typically when someone scores a stunning goal this early in the season — it’s only Week 2 — it gets forgotten, or at the very least lost in the shuffle after eight more months of worthy GOTY candidates. Not this year, though, because no one is forgetting Amarikwa chipping Adam Kwarasey from 35 yards out and burying the ball in the top corner.
    8. (transitive, billiards) To move (a ball) a relatively short distance by means of an oblique contact.
      In potting the black, he also managed to chip the red off the side cushion.
    10. (transitive, informal) To fit (an animal) with a microchip.
      Coordinate terms: earmark, brand
    11. (transitive, automotive) To upgrade an engine management system, usually to increase power.
    12. (intransitive, card games, often with "in") To ante (up).
    13. (UK, transitive, often with "in") To contribute.
      Everyone needs to chip in £1 for George's leaving collection.
    14. (also to chip at) To make fun of.
    15. (slang) To kill.
    Derived terms
    Translations
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Etymology 2

      Verb

      chip (third-person singular simple present chips, present participle chipping, simple past and past participle chipped)

      1. (UK, slang, intransitive) To leave.
        • 2012, Zadie Smith, NW, London: Penguin Books, published 2013, →ISBN, page 109:
          ‘Lloyd, I’m gonna chip.’ ‘You just got here!’ ‘I know–but I gotta chip. Got shit to do.’

      See also

      Further reading

      Anagrams

      Antigua and Barbuda Creole English

      Etymology

      From English trip.

      Verb

      chip (past min chip, future go chip, completive dun chip, imperfective a chip)

      1. to trip

      Danish

      Etymology

      Borrowed from English chip.

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /tɕip/, [tɕip̚]
      • Hyphenation: chip

      Noun

      chip c (singular definite chippen, plural indefinite chips or chip)

      1. (electronics, computing) a chip (one-piece circuit or hybrid device containing a circuit and another device)

      Declension

      Declension of chip
      common
      gender       		singular plural
      indefinite definite indefinite definite
      nominative chip chippen chips
      chip       		chippene
      genitive chips chippens chipss
      chips       		chippenes

      Dutch

      Etymology

      Borrowed from English chip.

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /tʃɪp/
      • Audio:(file)
      • Hyphenation: chip
      • Rhymes: -ɪp

      Noun

      chip m (plural chips, diminutive chipje n)

      1. (electronics, computing) a chip (one-piece circuit or hybrid device containing a circuit and another device)

      Derived terms

      Galician

      Etymology

        Borrowed from English chip.

        Noun

        chip m (plural chips)

        1. chip (circuit)

        Derived terms

        Further reading

        Hokkien

        For pronunciation and definitions of chip – see 逐 (“to chase; to pursue; gradually; one by one; etc.”).
        (This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 逐).

        Hungarian

        Etymology

        Unadapted borrowing from English chip.

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): [ˈt͡ʃip]

        Noun

        chip

        1. superseded spelling of csip[1]

        Declension

        Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony)
        singular plural
        nominative chip chipek
        accusative chipet chipeket
        dative chipnek chipeknek
        instrumental chippel chipekkel
        causal-final chipért chipekért
        translative chippé chipekké
        terminative chipig chipekig
        essive-formal chipként chipekként
        essive-modal — —
        inessive chipben chipekben
        superessive chipen chipeken
        adessive chipnél chipeknél
        illative chipbe chipekbe
        sublative chipre chipekre
        allative chiphez chipekhez
        elative chipből chipekből
        delative chipről chipekről
        ablative chiptől chipektől
        non-attributive
        possessive – singular         		chipé chipeké
        non-attributive
        possessive – plural         		chipéi chipekéi
        Possessive forms of chip
        possessor single possession multiple possessions
        1st person sing. chipem chipjeim
        2nd person sing. chiped chipjeid
        3rd person sing. chipje chipjei
        1st person plural chipünk chipjeink
        2nd person plural chipetek chipjeitek
        3rd person plural chipjük chipjeik

        References

        1. ^ Section 203 in A magyar helyesírás szabályai, 12. kiadás (‘The Rules of Hungarian Orthography, 12th edition’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2015. →ISBN

        Irish

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): /çɪpʲ/

        Noun

        chip m

        1. lenited form of cip

        Italian

        Etymology

        Unadapted borrowing from English chip.

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃip/[1]
        • Rhymes: -ip

        Noun

        chip m (invariable)

        1. chip (small electronic component)

        References

        1. ^ “chip” in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

        Middle English

        Etymology 1

        Noun

        chip

        1. alternative form of chippe

        Etymology 2

        Noun

        chip

        1. alternative form of schip

        Polish

        chip

        Alternative forms

        Etymology

        Etymology tree
        Proto-Germanic *kippōną
        Proto-West Germanic *kippōn
        Old English *ċippiander.
        Old English ċipp
        Middle English chippe
        English chipubor.
        Polish chip

          Unadapted borrowing from English chip.

          Pronunciation

          • IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʂip/
          • Audio:(file)
          • Rhymes: -ip
          • Syllabification: chip

          Noun

          chip m animal or m inan (related adjective chipowy)

          1. (computing, electronics) chip, microchip, computer chip, integrated circuit (small electronic device made up of multiple interconnected electronic components such as transistors, resistors, and capacitors)
            Synonyms: (colloquial) kostka, (colloquial) kość, (colloquial) scalak, układ scalony

          Declension

          Declension of chip
          singular plural
          nominative chip chipy
          genitive chipa, chipu chipów
          dative chipowi chipom
          accusative chipa, chip chipy
          instrumental chipem chipami
          locative chipie chipach
          vocative chipie chipy

          Derived terms

          verbs
          nouns

          Further reading

          • “chip”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎[5] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
          • “chip”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[6] (in Polish)
          • chip in PWN's encyclopedia

          Portuguese

          Etymology

            Unadapted borrowing from English chip.

            Pronunciation

             

            Noun

            chip m (plural chips) (proscribed, unadapted spelling)

            1. alternative form of chipe

            Further reading

            Romanian

            Etymology

              Borrowed from Hungarian kép (“image”).

              Pronunciation

              • IPA(key): /kip/
              • Audio:(file)

              Noun

              chip n (plural chipuri)

              1. face, likeness
                Synonym: față f
              2. picture, image
                Synonym: imagine f

              Declension

              singular plural
              indefinite definite indefinite definite
              nominative-accusative chip chipul chipuri chipurile
              genitive-dative chip chipului chipuri chipurilor
              vocative chipule chipurilor

              Derived terms

              Spanish

              Etymology

              Etymology tree
              Proto-Germanic *kippōną
              Proto-West Germanic *kippōn
              Old English *ċippiander.
              Old English ċipp
              Middle English chippe
              English chipbor.
              Spanish chip

                Borrowed from English chip.

                Pronunciation

                • IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃip/ [ˈt͡ʃip]
                • Rhymes: -ip
                • Syllabification: chip

                Noun

                chip m (plural chips)

                1. chip (circuit)
                  • 2020 August 5, Angel Jiménez de Luis, “Estas son las nuevas iMac de Apple”, in CNN en Español‎[7], archived from the original on 19 August 2025:
                    Es una experiencia que complementa la CPU y la GPU para realizar las tareas más rápido y que se apoya en el chip T2 integrado, que también controla la seguridad del equipo.
                    (please add an English translation of this quotation)

                Derived terms

                Further reading

                Vietnamese

                Alternative forms

                Etymology

                Borrowed from English chip.

                Pronunciation

                • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [t͡ɕip̚˧˦]
                • (Huế) IPA(key): [t͡ɕip̚˦˧˥]
                • (Saigon) IPA(key): [cip̚˦˥]
                • Phonetic spelling: chíp

                Noun

                chip (classifier con)

                1. (electronics) chip; microchip
                  Synonym: vi mạch
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