chopstick

Meaning

Noun

1. (plural-normally) An East Asian eating utensil usually used as a pair and held in one hand to grip pieces of food or occasionally to mix liquids or scoop up small pieces of food. The utensil is a stick, usually made of wood and measuring approximately 23cm (10 inches) in length.
2. (ethnic, slur) An Asian person.
3. (obsolete) A long straight stick forming part of various fishing tackle arrangements.

Verb

To pick up (food), or eat, using chopsticks, or as with chopsticks.

Synonyms

chopsticks

🥢

knitting needle

lollipop

🍭

stick

Translations

Essstäbchen

baguette

palillo

eetstokje

bacchetta

bastonet

Stäbchen

baguettes

bacchette

pausinho

pauzinho

Eßstäbchen

bacchetta cinese

eetstokjes

Etymology

Apparently a compound of chop + stick, but the sense of the first element is not clear. The eating utensil sense (attested since 1637) is presumably a transfer of sense from the earlier fishing tackle sense (attested from 1615), based on physical resemblance.
The common derivation from Chinese Pidgin English chop(-chop) (“quick”), a supposed calque from Chinese 筷子 (kuàizi, “chopstick”), derived from 快 (kuài, “quick”), is chronologically impossible as Chinese Pidgin English did not come into existence until the 18th century.