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1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Chips are long, thin pieces of potato fried in oil or fat and eaten hot, usually with a meal. [BRIT ] □  I had fish and chips in a cafe. in AM, use French fries 2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Chips or potato chips are very thin slices of fried potato that are eaten cold as a snack. [AM ] □  …a package of onion-flavored potato chips. in BRIT, use crisps 3 N‑COUNT A silicon chip is a very small piece of silicon with electronic circuits on it which is part of a computer or other piece of machinery.

4 N‑COUNT A chip is a small piece of something or a small piece which has been broken off something. □  It contains real chocolate chips. □ [+ of ] Teichler's eyes gleamed like chips of blue glass.

5 N‑COUNT A chip in something such as a piece of china or furniture is where a small piece has been broken off it. □  The washbasin had a small chip.

6 VERB If you chip something or if it chips , a small piece is broken off it. □ [V n] The blow chipped the woman's tooth. □ [V ] Steel baths are lighter but chip easily. ●  chipped ADJ □  They drank out of chipped mugs.

7 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Chips are plastic counters used in gambling to represent money. □  He put the pile of chips in the centre of the table and drew a card.

8 N‑COUNT In discussions between people or governments, a chip or a bargaining chip is something of value which one side holds, which can be exchanged for something they want from the other side. □  The information could be used as a bargaining chip to extract some parallel information from Britain.

9 → see also blue chip

10 PHRASE If you describe someone as a chip off the old block , you mean that they are just like one of their parents in character or behaviour. □  My father was a comedian and I am a chip off the old block.

11 PHRASE If you say that something happens when the chips are down , you mean it happens when a situation gets very difficult. [INFORMAL ] □  When the chips are down, she's very tough.

12 PHRASE If you say that someone has a chip on their shoulder , you think that they feel inferior or that they believe they have been treated unfairly. [INFORMAL ] □  He had this chip on his shoulder about my mum and dad thinking that they're better than him.

▸  chip away at

1 PHRASAL VERB If you chip away at something such as an idea, a feeling, or a system, you gradually make it weaker or less likely to succeed by repeated efforts. □ [V P P n] Instead of an outright coup attempt, the rebels want to chip away at her authority.

2 PHRASAL VERB If you chip away at a debt or an amount of money, you gradually reduce it. □ [V P P n] The group had hoped to chip away at its debts by selling assets.

▸  chip in

1 PHRASAL VERB When a number of people chip in , each person gives some money so that they can pay for something together. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P ] They chip in for the petrol and food. □ [V P n] The brothers chip in a certain amount of money each month to hire a home health aide. [Also V P + with ]

2 PHRASAL VERB If someone chips in during a conversation, they interrupt it in order to say something. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P with quote] 'That's true,' chipped in Quaver. □ [V P ] He chipped in before Clements could answer.

chi p and PI N N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Chip and PIN is a method of paying for goods you have bought by using both a bank card and a PIN number. □  IT engineers traced the problem to a chip and pin system that was not properly connected.

chip|board /tʃ I pbɔː ^r d/ N‑UNCOUNT Chipboard is a hard material made out of very small pieces of wood which have been pressed together. It is often used for making doors and furniture.