What does chip mean?
"Chip" is one of those small English words with an outsized number of meanings. At its core it denotes a fragment — a small piece broken or sliced from something larger, whether a flake of paint, a notch in a cup's rim, or a sliver of stone. From this basic idea it has branched into distinct modern senses: the British "chips" are hot fried potato strips, while American "chips" are the thin, crispy snacks Britons call crisps; in computing, a "chip" is a microchip, the tiny silicon wafer that carries an integrated circuit; in gambling, chips are the tokens players bet with; and as a verb, to chip is to break a small piece from a surface, as in a chipped tooth. The word also thrives idiomatically: someone who "has a chip on their shoulder" harbours a grudge, people "chip in" to contribute money or effort, and a child who resembles a parent is "a chip off the old block." In finance, a "blue-chip" company means a reliable, established firm. Few words move so comfortably between kitchens, casinos, workshops, and computers.
A small piece that has been broken or cut away from something larger; also a thin fried potato slice (British) or a crisp snack (American), a microchip, or a gambling token.
"A chip of tile had come loose by the doorway."
The food sense varies sharply between British English (hot fried potatoes) and American English (thin crispy snacks).
In electronics, a small flat piece of semiconductor material on which an integrated circuit is fabricated.
"The new phone uses a faster processor chip than last year's model."
To break or cut a small piece from the edge or surface of something, or (informally) to contribute money or effort to a shared cause.
"He chipped the old varnish off the table before refinishing it."
Standard plural. In the food sense, 'chips' refers collectively to multiple slices; in gambling, to the stack of tokens.
"We ordered fish and chips at the seaside pub."
The computer 'chip' got its name because the tiny silicon circuits were cut from wafers — the same verb used for breaking bits off stone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chip
"Chip" first appears in English in the early Middle English period, attested from around the thirteenth century. Its further origins are uncertain — it may be related to Old Norse "kippa" (to pull) or to Middle Low German "kippen" (to tilt or snatch), but lexicographers have not settled on a definitive source. The core sense of a small piece broken off developed naturally into the food, gaming, and woodworking senses, while the electronics sense arose in the twentieth century when microcircuits were physically cut from larger silicon wafers.
Related word forms
How chip is actually used
Highly polysemous and register-flexible: informal in everyday speech ('chips', 'chip in'), technical in electronics ('microchip'), and idiomatic in phrases like 'a chip on your shoulder' meaning resentment. The food sense differs sharply between British English (hot fried potatoes) and American English (cold crisp snacks), so context matters for international audiences.
Easily confused with chip
A chit is a short official note or voucher, while a chip is a small broken piece or a slice of food.