chap

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   (British informal) a man or boy; a fellow

   He's a decent chap who always lends a hand.

Simplified etymology

Chap was shortened from chapman, meaning “pedlar,” and originally referred to a buyer or customer. Chapman derives from Old English ceap, “bargaining” or “trade”; the modern sense of an ordinary man dates from the early 18th century.

Shortened from chapman ('itinerant dealer, peddler'), from Old English cēapman, from cēap ('trade, bargain') + man. The sense weakened from 'customer, buyer' to a generic 'fellow'.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary