chip

1 /tSIp/ noun (C)

1 MARK a small hole or mark on a plate, cup etc where a piece has broken off

(+ in): There's a chip in this plate.

2 PIECE a small piece of wood, stone, metal etc that has broken off something: Wood chips covered the floor of the workshop.

3 FOOD

a) BrE a long thin piece of potato cooked in oil; french fry AmE: fish and chips

b) AmE a thin, flat round piece of potato cooked in very hot oil and eaten cold; crisp 1 BrE

4 COMPUTER

a) a small piece of silicon that has a set of complicated electrical connections on it and is used to store and process 2 (4) information in computers

b) the main microprocessor of a computer

5 have a chip on your shoulder to easily become offended or angry because you think you have been treated unfairly in the past: He's always had a chip on his shoulder about not going to university.

6 be a chip off the old block informal to be very similar to your mother or father in appearance or character

7 GAME a small flat coloured piece of plastic used in gambling to represent a particular amount of money

8 SPORT a kick in football, rugby etc that makes the ball go high into the air for a short distance

9 when the chips are down spoken a serious or difficult situation, especially one in which you realize what is really true or important: When the chips are down, you've only got yourself to depend on.

10 have had your chips BrE informal to be in a situation in which you no longer have any hope of improvement

-see also: blue chip, cash in your chips cash 2, cow chip 2 verb chipped, chipping

1 (I, T) if something such as a plate chips or if you chip it, a small piece of it breaks off accidentally: Gary fell and chipped one of his front teeth. | These cheap plates chip really easily.

2 (T) to cut potatoes into thin pieces ready to be cooked in hot oil

3 (T) to hit or kick a ball in football, rugby etc so that it goes high into the air for a short distance

chip sth away phrasal verb (T) to remove something, especially something hard that is covering a surface, by hitting it with a tool so that small pieces break off: Sandy chipped away the plaster covering the tiles. (+ at): Archaeologists were carefully chipping away at the rock. chip away at sth phrasal verb (T) to gradually make something less effective or destroy it: The emphasis on testing has chipped away at teachers' autonomy. chip in phrasal verb

1 (I) to interrupt a conversation by saying something that adds more detail: They kept chipping in with facts and figures.

2 (I, T) if each person in a group chips in, they each give a small amount of money so that they can buy something together: I'd like to chip in if you're getting Mike a birthday present.

chip sth off phrasal verb (T) to remove something by breaking it off in small pieces: Bert chipped the paint off the front door and varnished it.