Reading Theme:
Chip: Definitions, Usage & Real-Life Examples (4 meaning)
Meaning 1：crispy potato snack (chip)
chip
/tʃɪp/
n./v.
A thin, crispy slice of potato, fried or baked, eaten as a snack.
crispy potato snack
➕
/ˈkrɪspi pəˈteɪtoʊ snæk/
n./v.
A thin, crispy slice of potato, typically fried or baked, consumed as a snack food.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Old English 'cipp', meaning a small piece of wood or fragment.
💡 Mnemonic
Think of a chip as a tiny bit that 'chips' away from a larger object.
📖 Example
We bought a big bag of potato chips to share while watching the movie.
We purchased a large bag of potato chips to enjoy together during the movie.
🔗 Collocations
potato chips – Crispy slices of potato eaten as a snack.
bag of chips – A package containing potato chips.
chip dip – A sauce or spread used for dipping potato chips.
🔄 Synonyms
🌱 Derivatives
chipper (adj.) – Cheerful and lively, though not directly related to the snack sense.
📖 Cultural Story
Derived from Old English 'cipp' for a small wood piece, evolving to mean any small fragment, like potato chips or silicon chips in technology.
Meaning 2：small broken piece (chip)
chip
/tʃɪp/
n./v.
A small piece that has broken off from something hard like a plate, cup, or paint.
small broken piece
➕
/smɔːl ˈbroʊkən piːs/
n./v.
A small fragment that has detached from a hard object, such as ceramic, glass, or paint.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
Be careful with that plate, it has a chip on the rim from when I dropped it.
Handle that plate cautiously; there is a small broken piece on its edge from a previous drop.
🔗 Collocations
chip in the paint – A small area where paint has broken off a surface.
chip on the edge – A fragment missing from the border of an object.
china chip – A small piece broken off from porcelain or fine ceramic.
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
whole (adj.) – Complete and unbroken, without any missing parts.
🌱 Derivatives
chipped (adj.) – Having one or more small broken pieces on the surface or edge.
Meaning 3：silicon microchip (chip)
chip
/tʃɪp/
n./v.
A tiny, thin piece of silicon inside computers and phones that makes them work and think.
silicon microchip
➕
/ˈsɪlɪkən ˈmaɪkroʊtʃɪp/
n./v.
A tiny piece of silicon that contains electronic circuits, enabling devices like computers and phones to function.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
The new smartphone boasts a faster and more efficient chip for better performance.
The latest smartphone features a quicker and more effective silicon microchip to enhance performance.
🔗 Collocations
computer chip – A microchip used in computing devices for processing data.
silicon chip – A chip made from silicon, the primary material for semiconductors.
chip manufacturer – A company that produces microchips or integrated circuits.
🔄 Synonyms
microprocessor (n.) – A central processing unit integrated into a single chip.
integrated circuit (n.) – A set of electronic circuits on a small chip of semiconductor material.
Meaning 4：break off a small piece (chip)
chip
/tʃɪp/
n./v.
(Verb) To accidentally break a small piece off the edge of something hard.
break off a small piece
➕
/breɪk ɒf ə smɔːl piːs/
n./v.
To cause a small fragment to detach from the edge or surface of a hard object accidentally.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
I accidentally chipped the paint on the door when I moved the sofa.
I unintentionally broke off a small piece of paint from the door while relocating the sofa.
🔗 Collocations
chip a tooth – To cause a small piece of a tooth to break off, often due to impact.
chip the glass – To make a small fragment come off a glass surface.
chip away at – To gradually remove small pieces from something, often through persistent effort.
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
🌱 Derivatives
chipping (n.) – The act or result of breaking off small pieces from something.
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