chop

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A cut of meat, often containing a section of a rib.
2. (countable, uncountable) A blow with an axe, cleaver, or similar implement.
3. (countable, uncountable) A blow delivered with the hand rigid and outstretched.
4. (countable, uncountable) Ocean waves, generally caused by wind, distinguished from swell by being smaller and not lasting as long.
5. (countable, uncountable) A hand where two or more players have an equal-valued hand, resulting in the chips being shared equally between them.
6. (countable, informal, uncountable, with-definite-article) Termination, especially from employment; the sack.
7. (Australia, New-Zealand, countable, uncountable) A woodchopping competition.
8. (countable, dated, uncountable) A crack or cleft; a chap.
9. (uncountable) Aircraft turbulence.
10. (UK, countable, slang, uncountable) Cocaine.
11. (Multicultural-London-English, countable, slang, uncountable) A knife, especially one used as a weapon.

Verb

1. (transitive) To cut into pieces with short, vigorous cutting motions.
2. (transitive) To sever with an axe or similar implement.
3. (figuratively, transitive) To separate or divide.
4. (transitive) to give a downward cutting blow or movement, typically with the side of the hand.
5. (transitive) To hit the ball downward so that it takes a high bounce.
6. To divide the pot (or tournament prize) between two or more players.
7. (intransitive) To make a quick, heavy stroke or a series of strokes, with or as with an ax.
8. (intransitive) To do something suddenly with an unexpected motion; to catch or attempt to seize.
9. (intransitive) To interrupt; with in or out.
10. (Hong-Kong, transitive) To stab.
11. (transitive) To remove the final character from (a text string).
12. (slang, transitive) To manipulate or separate out a line of cocaine.
13. (slang, transitive) To have sex with.

Verb

1. (obsolete) To exchange, to barter; to swap.
2. To chap or crack.
3. To vary or shift suddenly.
4. (obsolete) To twist words.
5. To converse, discuss, or speak with another.

Verb

1. (Brunei, Hong-Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, colloquial, transitive) To stamp or seal (a document); to mark, impress or otherwise place a design or symbol on paper or other material, usually, but not necessarily, to indicate authenticity.
2. To seal a licence or passport.

Synonyms

cut

hack

hew

mince

slice

split

hash

#️⃣

carve

chop up

sever

hit

fell

cut off

cut up

cutlet

trim

cleave

seal

🦭

break

slash

chisel

lop

stamp

beat

pound

💷

prune

cut down

butcher

rip

pare

clip

chop down

crack

cut into pieces

cutting

chop shot

shear

splinter

saw

🪚

break up

mutilate

break open

kill

🔪🩸👤

grind

amputate

chopper

fragment

mangle

dismember

bit

Translations

couper

hacken

hacher

picar

côtelette

tailler

tajar

chuleta

tritare

Kotelett

cortar

tagliare

hakken

braciola

hauen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/t͡ʃɒp/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: choppen

Cognate with Scots: chap

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: kappe

Cognate with Dutch: kappen

Cognate with German: kappen

Cognate with Albanian: copë

Cognate with Old English: *ċippian

Cognate with Middle English: copen

Cognate with Dutch: kopen

Inherited from Middle English: choppe

Cognate with Middle English: cheppe

In summary

From Middle English choppen, chappen (“to chop”), of uncertain origin, possibly onomatopoeic, or a variant of chap (“to become cracked”).
Cognate with Scots chap (“to chop”). Compare also Saterland Frisian kappe, kapje (“to hack; chop; lop off”), Dutch kappen (“to chop, cut, hew”), German Low German kappen (“to cut off; clip”), German kappen (“to cut; clip”), German dialectal chapfen, kchapfen (“to chop into small pieces”), Albanian copë (“piece, chunk”), Old English *ċippian (in forċippian (“to cut off”)). Perhaps related to chip.