a triangular wooden float attached to the end of a log line
"The logger tossed his chip into the water to signal where he had cut another tree from the drift."
a piece of dried bovine dung
"The cowboy spat on the ground, saying that cow chips make for excellent kindling in his campfire."
a thin crisp slice of potato fried in deep fat
"I saved my last chip for dessert because it was so hot and crispy."
a small disk-shaped counter used to represent money when gambling
"He shoved his last chip into the center of the felt, hoping it would be enough to win the pot."
electronic equipment consisting of a small crystal of a silicon semiconductor fabricated to carry out a number of electronic functions in an integrated circuit
"The new smartphone runs faster because its upgraded chip processes data more efficiently than the old model."
the act of chipping something
"He spent the afternoon chiping away at the old stone wall until it was finally stable."
A small piece broken from a larger piece of solid material.
"The CHP chip pulled us over for speeding on the 580 freeway."
Abbreviation of chromatin immunoprecipitation.
An officer of the California Highway Patrol
In plain English: A chip is a small, thin piece of something that has broken off or been cut away.
"She broke a small chip off the edge of her favorite mug."
Usage: Do not use "chip" to refer to a police officer; that specific term belongs exclusively to members of the California Highway Patrol. In general usage, a chip is simply a small broken piece or fragment of something harder like wood, glass, or metal.
play a chip shot
"After failing to make par on the last hole, I decided to play a chip shot from off the green to try and salvage my score."
To chop or cut into small pieces.
"She carefully chipped the frozen potatoes before frying them for dinner."
In plain English: To chip something means to break off small pieces from its surface.
"She asked him to chip the vegetables for the stew."
Usage: Use "chip" when you break off or cut away small fragments from a hard surface like wood, stone, or ice. Do not use it for finely chopping soft foods, where "chop" or "dice" is the correct term.
A diminutive of the male given names Christopher and Charles.
"The CHP officer pulled me over for speeding on the highway."
Acronym of children's health insurance program.
Acronym of California Highway Patrol.
The word "chip" comes from Old English, where it originally meant a small piece of wood or a shaving. It entered Middle English with this same meaning before becoming the common noun we use today.