chop

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To cut something into pieces with quick, hard strokes of a knife or axe.

   We chopped the vegetables for the soup.

2. 2
   noun

   A small, thick piece of meat, usually with a piece of bone in it.

   I love lamb chops with mint jelly.

3. 3
   noun

   A short, hard blow given with the side of the hand.

   He broke the board with a single karate chop.

4. 4
   noun

   Small rough waves on water, usually caused by wind.

   The little boat rocked as it headed into the chop.

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.

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