chops
chops Lexical Profile
chops Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Plural form of chop: thick slices of meat, especially pork, lamb, or veal, usually cut to include a rib bone.
"She seasoned the lamb chops with rosemary and garlic before placing them on the grill."
A person's technical skill, expertise, or proven ability in a particular field, originally and especially in playing a musical instrument or acting (informal).
"The young guitarist quickly proved his musical chops during the improvised solo."
The jaws, cheeks, or lower part of the face around the mouth of a person or animal (informal).
"The hound licked its chops eagerly while waiting for its dinner bowl."
• Rhymes for chops
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The anatomical sense meaning 'jaws' or 'cheeks' appeared in the 16th century as a variant of 'chap'. The informal sense meaning 'technical skill' originated in 1940s American jazz slang, referring initially to a wind player's lips and jaws and by extension to their musical technique.