chap
chap Lexical Profile
chap Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British An informal term for a man, boy, or fellow.
"He is a friendly chap who always stops to chat with his neighbors."
North American Sturdy leather leggings worn over trousers by cowboys or motorcyclists to protect the legs (always used in the plural 'chaps').
"The rancher buckled on his leather chaps before riding out into the thorny brush."
A painful crack, fissure, or sore spot in the skin, typically caused by exposure to cold or wind.
"The harsh winter wind left painful chaps on the gardener's hands."
The lower jaw or cheek, especially of an animal such as a pig.
"The traditional rural recipe calls for cured Bath chaps served cold with mustard."
• verb
To become or cause to become cracked, rough, or sore from exposure to cold, wind, or dryness (especially of the skin or lips).
"My lips always chap during the dry winter months if I forget to apply balm."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the leather leggings worn by cowboys, the word is always used in the plural form ('chaps') and is traditionally pronounced 'shaps' in North America.
• Rhymes for chap
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The informal noun meaning 'a man or fellow' is a 16th-century shortening of 'chapman' (an itinerant merchant or customer), from Old English 'ceapmann'. The verb and noun relating to cracked skin derive from Middle English 'chappen', of Low German or Dutch origin, while the cowboy garment is shortened from Mexican Spanish 'chaparreras'.