chip

noun

ˈchip 

plural chips

1

a

: a small usually thin and flat piece (as of wood or stone) cut, struck, or flaked off

b

: a small piece of food: such as

(1)

: a small, thin, crisp, usually salty piece of food typically prepared by frying, baking, or drying

banana chips

especially : potato chip see also corn chip

(2)

: french fry

(3)

: a small often cone-shaped bit of food often used for baking

chocolate chips

c

: a small card displaying a paint color or a range of paint colors available for purchase

fabric swatches and paint chips

2

: something small, worthless, or trivial

3

a

: one of the counters used as a token for money in poker and other games

b

chips plural : money

—used especially in the phrase in the chips

The beginning was always characterized by careless haste in the expectation of landing in the chips …

—William Kittredge

c

: something valuable that can be used for advantage in negotiation or trade

a bargaining chip

4

: a piece of dried dung

—usually used in combination

cow chip

5

: a flaw left after a chip has been broken off

6

a

: integrated circuit

b

: a small wafer of semiconductor material that forms the base for an integrated circuit

7

: chip shot sense 1

8

: microarray

DNA chips

see also:

chip off the old block chip on one's shoulder

Synonyms of chip

• sliver
• fragment
• splinter
• flake
• shard

Examples of chip in a Sentence

The cup has a chip in it.

wood chips were spread over the ground between the plants

Recent Examples on the Web

Federal prosecutors accused Lopez and Gonzalez of stealing $274,000 in cash, casino chips, designer bags, passports and other property. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026

The weakness was pronounced in South Korea's chip-heavy market. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 5 June 2026

The two-hour limit (and the complimentary snacks of watermelon and chips) also make this a great choice for families. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026

The pair stole at least $274,600 in cash, casino chips and other items, and both have been in federal custody since May. —CBS News, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English; akin to Old English -cippian

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing chip

• bargaining chip
• blue chip
• chip in
• chip off the old block
• chip on one's shoulder
• chip shop
• chip shot
• chocolate chip cookie
• corn chip
• have a chip on one's shoulder
• kettle chip
• potato chip
• tortilla chip
• V-chip
• white chip

Rhymes for chip

• blip
• clip
• dip
• drip
• flip
• grip
• grippe
• hip
• ip
• kip
• lip
• nip

Kids Definition

chip

1 of 2 noun

ˈchip 

1

: a small thin flat piece (as of wood, stone, or glass) broken off : flake

2

: a small piece of food

chocolate chip

: as

a

: potato chip

b

: french fry entry 1

fish and chips

3

a

: a counter used in poker

b

plural : money sense 1c

in the chips

4

: a flaw left after a small piece has been broken off

a cup with a chip in it

5

: a very small slice of silicon containing electronic circuits (as for a computer)

chip

2 of 2 verb

chipped; chipping

1

: to cut or break a chip from something

chip a cup

2

: to break off in small pieces

Medical Definition

chip

noun

ˈchip 

: microarray

When exposed to a sample of unknown DNA, the probes on the chip bind to their complementary strands, thereby reading the sequences in the sample.

—Jeff Wheelwright, Discover