chopstick

Meaning

Noun

1. 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. An Asian person.

Verb

To pick up (food) using chopsticks.

Etymology

From Chinese Pidgin English chop (“quick”) (compare chop-chop) + stick. The first element is a calque from Chinese 筷子 (kuàizi, “chopstick”), derived from 快 (kuài, “quick”).