chopsticks
chopsticks Lexical Profile
chopsticks Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A pair of slender, tapered sticks of equal length, typically made of wood, bamboo, plastic, or metal, held in one hand and used as eating or cooking utensils, especially in East and Southeast Asia.
"She deftly picked up the steamed dumplings using a pair of bamboo chopsticks."
A simple, well-known waltz melody for the piano, traditionally played with the index fingers held vertically and striking the keys in a chopping motion.
"The two children sat together on the piano bench and enthusiastically played a duet of Chopsticks."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 17th century from Chinese Pidgin English 'chop' (meaning 'quick', derived from Cantonese 'gap' or Hokkien 'kap') combined with English 'stick', serving as a loan translation of the Mandarin word 'kuàizi' (literally 'quick little bamboo ones').