Potato Chips: Meaning, Examples & Snack Tips

Meaning 1：crispy potato snack (Potato Chips)

Potato Chips 🔊

/pəˈteɪtoʊ tʃɪps/

Thin slices of potato fried until crispy, often seasoned with salt or flavors.

Open bag of potato chips on wooden table with soft lighting

crispy potato snack 🔊

➕

/ˈkrɪspi pəˈteɪtoʊ snæk/

Thin slices of potato that are deep-fried or baked until crispy, typically seasoned with salt or other flavorings, and eaten as a snack.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Compound of 'potato' (from Spanish patata) and 'chips' (thin slices fried).

💡 Mnemonic

Picture a chip made from a potato: 'potato' + 'chip' = a crispy, salty snack.

📖 Example

During our weekend picnic, we brought a large bag of potato chips to share with friends. 🔊 During our weekend picnic, we brought a large bag of potato chips to share with friends.

🔗 Collocations

bag of potato chips – A packaged quantity of the snack.

potato chips and dip – The snack served with a dipping sauce.

crispy potato chips – Potato chips that are very crunchy and fresh.

🔄 Synonyms

crisps (n.) – A British term for thin, fried potato snacks.

snack chips (n.) – A general term for various thin, crispy snack foods, often including potato chips.

chip (n.) – In British English, refers to thicker fried potato pieces (French fries), but in American English can be a short form for potato chips.

🌱 Derivatives

chip (n.) – A thin slice of food, especially potato, fried until crispy.

chippy (adj.) – Informal term meaning related to or resembling potato chips.

chip bag (n.) – The packaging used for potato chips.

📖 Cultural Story

Invented in 1853 by Chef George Crum in Saratoga Springs, NY, after a customer rejected thick fries. He sliced potatoes paper-thin, fried them, creating the first potato chips.