Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - chip

~1 n 1 »MARK« a small hole or mark on a plate, cup etc where a piece has broken off + in  (There's a chip in this plate.) 2 »PIECE« a small piece of wood, stone, metal etc that has broken off something  (Wood chips covered the floor of the workshop.) 3 »FOOD« a) BrE a long thin piece of potato cooked in oil; french fry AmE  (fish and chips) b) AmE a thin, flat round piece of potato cooked in very hot oil and eaten cold; crisp1 BrE 4 »COMPUTER« a) a small piece of silicon that has a set of complicated electrical connections on it and is used to store and process2 (4) information in computers b) the main microprocessor of a computer 5 have a chip on your shoulder to easily become offended or angry because you think you have been treated unfairly in the past  (He's always had a chip on his shoulder about not going to university.) 6 be a chip off the old block informal to be very similar to your mother or father in appearance or character 7 »GAME« a small flat coloured piece of plastic used in gambling to represent a particular amount of money 8 »SPORT« a kick in football, rugby etc that makes the ball go high into the air for a short distance 9 when the chips are down spoken a serious or difficult situation, especially one in which you realize what is really true or important  (When the chips are down, you've only got yourself to depend on.) 10 have had your chips BrE informal to be in a situation in which you no longer have any hope of improvement  (- see also blue chip, cash in your chips cash2, cow chip) ~2 v chipped, chipping 1 if something such as a plate chips or if you chip it, a small piece of it breaks off accidentally  (Gary fell and chipped one of his front teeth. | These cheap plates chip really easily.) 2 to cut potatoes into thin pieces ready to be cooked in hot oil 3 to hit or kick a ball in football, rugby etc so that it goes high into the air for a short distance chip sth away phr v to remove something, especially something hard that is covering a surface, by hitting it with a tool so that small pieces break off  (Sandy chipped away the plaster covering the tiles.) + a  (Archaeologists were carefully chipping away at the rock.) chip away at sth phr v to gradually make something less effective or destroy it  (The emphasis on testing has chipped away at teachers' autonomy.) chip in phr v 1 to interrupt a conversation by saying something that adds more detail  (They kept chipping in with facts and figures.) 2 if each person in a group chips in, they each give a small amount of money so that they can buy something together  (I'd like to chip in if you're getting Mike a birthday present.) chip sth off phr v to remove something by breaking it off in small pieces  (Bert chipped the paint off the front door and varnished it.)