chopstick

noun

chop·​stick ˈchäp-ˌstik 

plural chopsticks

: one of a pair of slender sticks (as of wood or plastic) held between the thumb and fingers and used to lift food to the mouth

Never spear food with a chopstick! If you're having trouble picking up your food, a spoon is your plan B.

—Laura Barry

—usually used in plural

To eat rice, both etiquette and practicality dictate that you use chopsticks to pick up a morsel of meat, fish, or whatever …; position it over the rice bowl, allowing its juices or sauce to drip into the rice; eat the morsel; then shovel some rice into your mouth with the chopsticks.

—Saveur

"… I do get uncomfortable when people use chopsticks for every Asian food. Traditionally, I may use chopsticks when my food is served in a soup bowl with noodles or rice, but we often use forks and spoons for our dishes. …"

—Darrell Loo, quoted in Feast

Illustration of chopstick

Examples of chopstick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Her siu mai pork dumplings, which in their edible form are a centerpiece of dim sum, can be made with personalized details like little chopsticks or a dollop of porcelain fish roe on top. —Whitney Eulich, Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2025

Some of its most affecting shots, in fact, depend on it: two hands on opposite sides of the table tackling food with chopsticks; a face reflected in a steamed mirror; darkened watercolor animations that heighten Soo-Ha’s sensory experience. —Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 25 Mar. 2025

Eventually, SpaceX plans to snag the returning upper stage using the launch tower's chopsticks as well, but the company isn't ready to try that just yet. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2025

Although the chopsticks never went into production, Kirin proceeded to integrate the technology into the present-day commercially-available Electric Salt Spoon. —Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Chinese Pidgin English chop fast + English stick

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chopstick

• broomstick
• dipstick
• homesick
• joystick
• lipstick
• nonstick
• pickwick
• picnic
• redbrick
• seasick
• sidekick
• slapstick

Kids Definition

chopstick

noun

chop·​stick ˈchäp-ˌstik 

: one of a pair of slender sticks used chiefly in Asian countries to lift food to the mouth