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chopstick

noun
/ˈt͡ʃɒp.stɪk/UK/ˈt͡ʃɑp.stɪk/US

Etymology

Apparently a compound of chop + stick, but the sense of the first element is not clear. The eating utensil sense (attested since 1637) is presumably a transfer of sense from the earlier fishing tackle sense (attested from 1615), based on physical resemblance. The common derivation from Chinese Pidgin English chop(-chop) (“quick”), a supposed calque from Chinese 筷子 (kuàizi, “chopstick”), derived from 快 (kuài, “quick”), is chronologically impossible as Chinese Pidgin English did not come into existence until the 18th century.

  1. derived from chop-chop

Definitions

  1. An East Asian eating utensil usually used as a pair and held in one hand to grip pieces…

    An East Asian eating utensil usually used as a pair and held in one hand to grip pieces of food or occasionally to mix liquids or scoop up small pieces of food. The utensil is a stick, usually made of wood and measuring approximately 23 cm (10 inches) in length.

    • These Sticks are called by the Chinese Quay-tse, and by some of our Voyagers Chopsticks, which they manage so dexterously that they can take up a grain of rice with them.

  2. An Asian person.

    • "How cool is that, Chong? Wolverine is in the house." "Wolver this, you chopstick."

  3. A long straight stick forming part of various fishing tackle arrangements.

    • I pray pardon me for that Capt' Adams' hast to goe downe causeth me to be breefer then I would, wishing you to luffe as fast as you can in the heigh of hogg faces, for these climates of Meaco yeald nothinge but shirrow & chopp-stickes.
  4. ›+ 1 more definition

    1. To pick up (food), or eat, using chopsticks, or as with chopsticks.

      • Then, holding his plate close to his mouth, he chopsticked it in with his fork, and, with tremendous gusto, called for more.
      • For a while I chopsticked in silence. Gathering up loose grains of rice between the points of two small sticks is a job requiring absolute quiet and concentration.

The neighborhood

Derived

choppers, chopsticker, chopstickery, chopstickful, chopstickiness, chopstickish, chopstickism, chopstick land, chopstick legs, chopstickless, chopstick-like, chopstickology, chopstick rest, chopstick stand, chopsticky, chork

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for chopstick. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA