What does chomp mean?
"Chomp" is an informal English verb meaning to bite or chew food loudly and energetically, often with an implication of gusto or lack of table manners. A dog might chomp its kibble; a hungry child might chomp through a sandwich. The word carries a vivid, onomatopoeic quality that makes it a favorite of journalists and humorists describing eating scenes. Beyond literal eating, "chomp" appears in the well-known idiom "chomping at the bit," which describes someone straining with impatience to begin an activity — a horse biting down restlessly on its harness bit being the original image. Interestingly, this idiom was historically "champing at the bit," from "champ," an older verb of similar meaning; "chomp" is essentially a later variant of that word that has since overtaken it in everyday usage, particularly in North America. Whether describing noisy eating or barely contained eagerness, "chomp" injects energy and informality into any sentence.
To bite or chew food noisily and vigorously.
"She sat on the porch chomping on a piece of gum."
A single act of biting or chewing, or a loud biting sound.
"With one big chomp, he devoured half the cookie."
As a noun, "chomps" refers to individual acts or sounds of biting or chewing.
"We could hear the loud chomps coming from the next room."
If you say someone is 'chomping at the bit,' you're actually saying it wrong by historical standards — the original phrase was 'champing at the bit.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chomp
"Chomp" emerged as a variant of the older verb "champ," which has been recorded in English since around the 16th century and means to chew or bite noisily. Both words are of uncertain deeper origin, though they may be related to other chewing-related terms in Germanic languages. The variant spelling "chomp," attested by at least the 17th century, gradually established itself alongside its parent form and is now the dominant choice in American English, while "champ" survives most prominently in the idiom "champing at the bit."
Related word forms
How chomp is actually used
Informal and vivid in register; common in casual speech and journalism but rare in formal writing. In the idiomatic sense of impatience, both 'chomping' and the older 'champing' are accepted, though 'champing' may strike some readers as pedantic.
Easily confused with chomp
'Champ' is the older verb meaning to chew noisily or impatiently (as in 'champing at the bit'), while 'chomp' is a later variant now more common in American English.