What does chipping mean?
Chipping describes the act of breaking or cutting small fragments from a harder material, whether through impact, weathering, or deliberate work such as carving stone or removing old paint. It also carries rich figurative uses: to be 'chipping away at' a problem is to make steady, incremental progress on something daunting, while 'chipping in' means contributing one's share of money or effort to a collective cause. Golfers use 'chipping' for the short, controlled shot that lifts the ball briefly into the air before it lands softly on the green. The word evokes patience and persistence rather than sudden destruction — a wall crumbles, but a sculptor chips. Its most familiar everyday contexts are domestic wear (chipped mugs, flaking paint) and collaborative effort, making it a versatile term spanning physical damage, craftsmanship, sport, and generosity.
Present participle of 'chip': to break or cut small pieces off something, or to gradually reduce something through repeated effort.
"She kept chipping at the frozen ground until she reached the buried pipe."
Commonly used in the progressive aspect; the idiom 'chipping away at' is especially frequent in figurative speech.
Small fragments broken off a material; the act of breaking off such fragments.
"Paint chipping littered the floor beneath the old windowsill."
As a plural noun, 'chippings' typically refers collectively to small broken pieces, especially stone or gravel fragments left over from construction or roadwork.
"Stone chippings covered the path around the new flowerbed."
Golfers call the delicate shot that pops the ball onto the green a 'chip' — so every round of golf involves a little chipping, even when nothing breaks.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chipping
Chipping comes from the verb 'chip,' which traces back to Middle English 'chippen,' meaning to cut or hew, ultimately rooted in Old English 'cipp' or 'cyp,' denoting a small piece of cut wood. The word shares deep Germanic origins with related terms like 'chop,' reflecting an ancient family of words for severing wood or other materials. Its figurative sense of gradual, persistent effort developed naturally from the physical image of small blows slowly wearing a surface down.
Related word forms
How chipping is actually used
Often used figuratively in 'chipping away at' to describe slow, persistent progress against a large task or problem. In British English, 'chippy' colloquially means a fish-and-chip shop, though this derives more directly from 'chips'.
Easily confused with chipping
'Shipping' means transporting goods or romantic pairing, while 'chipping' means breaking small pieces off something or contributing money.