CHOP (chopped, chopping)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: chopped    , chopping   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does chop mean? 

• CHOP (noun)
  The noun CHOP has 5 senses:

1. the irregular motion of waves (usually caused by wind blowing in a direction opposite to the tide)

2. a small cut of meat including part of a rib

3. a jaw

4. a tennis return made with a downward motion that puts backspin on the ball

5. a grounder that bounces high in the air

  Familiarity information: CHOP used as a noun is common.

• CHOP (verb)
  The verb CHOP has 6 senses:

1. cut into pieces

2. move suddenly

3. form or shape by chopping

4. strike sharply, as in some sports

5. cut with a hacking tool

6. hit sharply

  Familiarity information: CHOP used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CHOP (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The irregular motion of waves (usually caused by wind blowing in a direction opposite to the tide)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Context example:

the boat headed into the chop

Hypernyms ("chop" is a kind of...):

physical phenomenon (a natural phenomenon involving the physical properties of matter and energy)

Derivation:

choppy (rough with small waves)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A small cut of meat including part of a rib

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("chop" is a kind of...):

cut; cut of meat (a piece of meat that has been cut from an animal carcass)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "chop"):

mutton chop (chop cut from a mature sheep)

lamb-chop; lamb chop; lambchop (chop cut from a lamb)

porkchop (chop cut from a hog)

Derivation:

chop (cut into pieces)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A jaw

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Context example:

I'll hit him on the chops

Hypernyms ("chop" is a kind of...):

jaw (the part of the skull of a vertebrate that frames the mouth and holds the teeth)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A tennis return made with a downward motion that puts backspin on the ball

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

chop; chop shot

Hypernyms ("chop" is a kind of...):

return (a tennis stroke that sends the ball back to the other player)

Derivation:

chop (strike sharply, as in some sports)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A grounder that bounces high in the air

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

chop; chopper

Hypernyms ("chop" is a kind of...):

ground ball; groundball; grounder; hopper ((baseball) a hit that travels along the ground)

• CHOP (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they chop    ... he / she / it chops   
Past simple: chopped   
Past participle: chopped   
-ing form: chopping   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cut into pieces

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

chop; chop up

Context example:

chop meat

Hypernyms (to "chop" is one way to...):

cut (separate with or as if with an instrument)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "chop"):

hash (chop up)

mince (cut into small pieces)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

The chefs chop the vegetables

Derivation:

chop (a small cut of meat including part of a rib)

chopper (a butcher's knife having a large square blade)

chopper (informal terms for a human 'tooth')

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move suddenly

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "chop" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Form or shape by chopping

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

chop a hole in the ground

Hypernyms (to "chop" is one way to...):

create; make (make or cause to be or to become)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Strike sharply, as in some sports

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "chop" is one way to...):

strike (deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

chop (a tennis return made with a downward motion that puts backspin on the ball)

chopper (a grounder that bounces high in the air)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cut with a hacking tool

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

chop; hack

Hypernyms (to "chop" is one way to...):

cut (separate with or as if with an instrument)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "chop"):

ax; axe (chop or split with an ax)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

The chefs chop the vegetables

Also:

chop down (cut down)

chop off (remove by or as if by cutting)

chop up (cut into pieces)

Derivation:

chopper (a butcher's knife having a large square blade)

chopper (informal terms for a human 'tooth')

Sense 6

Meaning:

Hit sharply

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "chop" is one way to...):

hit; strike (make a strategic, offensive, assault against an enemy, opponent, or a target)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

The animal dragged itself reluctantly out of his way, licking its chops with a tongue which seemed hardly to have the strength to curl.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Now I must either bundle it back in to my tin kitchen to mold, pay for printing it myself, or chop it up to suit purchasers and get what I can for it.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

We humans are useful collaborators to honeyguides because of our ability to subdue stinging bees with smoke and chop open their nest, providing wax for the honeyguide and honey for ourselves.

(How humans and wild Honeyguide birds call each other to help, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Buck did not comprehend that silent intentness, nor the eager way with which they were licking their chops.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

“Go away!” said Miss Betsey, shaking her head, and making a distant chop in the air with her knife.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

"And you say 'ben' for 'been,'" she continued; "'come' for 'came'; and the way you chop your endings is something dreadful."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

If the Tin Woodman can chop it down, so that it will fall to the other side, we can walk across it easily.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

I sat in the sun on a bench; the animal within me licking the chops of memory; the spiritual side a little drowsed, promising subsequent penitence, but not yet moved to begin.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Then he licked his chops in quite the same way his mother did, and began to crawl out of the bush.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

I say to them, ‘Now, gents, fightin’ is my profession, and I don’t fight for love any more than a doctor doctors for love, or a butcher gives away a loin chop.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)