I. chop 1 S3 /tʃɒp $ tʃɑːp/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle chopped , present participle chopping ) [transitive]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: Perhaps from chap ; ⇨ ↑ chapped ]
1 . ( also chop up ) to cut something into smaller pieces:
He went outside to chop some more wood for the fire.
Can you chop up some carrots for me?
Add two finely chopped onions and a clove of garlic.
chop something into pieces/chunks etc
Chop the meat into small cubes.
2 . informal to reduce an amount of money by a large amount:
He suddenly found that his income had been chopped in half.
3 . chop and change British English informal to keep changing your mind:
You can’t keep chopping and changing like this!
chop at something phrasal verb
to hit something with a sharp tool in order to cut it:
They chopped at the bushes with their knives.
chop something ↔ down phrasal verb
to make a tree fall down by cutting it with a sharp tool:
A couple of the older trees will have to be chopped down.
Large areas of rainforest are being chopped down every day.
chop something ↔ off phrasal verb
to remove something by cutting it with a sharp tool:
The branch had been chopped off.
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THESAURUS
▪ cut to divide something into two or more pieces, especially using a knife or ↑ scissors :
Do you want me to cut the cake?
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He cut off the lower branches.
▪ snip to quickly cut something, especially using ↑ scissors :
I snipped the label off.
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The hairdresser snipped away at her hair.
▪ slit to make a long narrow cut through something, especially using a knife:
He slit the envelope open with a penknife.
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She slit through the plastic covering.
▪ slash to cut something quickly and violently with a knife, making a long thin cut:
Someone had slashed the tyres on his car.
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He tried to slash his wrists.
▪ saw to cut wood, using a ↑ saw (=a tool with a row of sharp points) :
Saw the wood to the correct length.
▪ chop to cut wood, vegetables, or meat into pieces:
Bill was outside chopping up firewood with an axe.
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They chopped down the old tree.
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finely chopped onion
▪ slice to cut bread, meat, or vegetables into thin pieces:
I’ll slice the cucumber.
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Slice the bread thinly.
▪ dice to cut vegetables or meat into small square pieces:
First dice the apple into cubes.
▪ grate to cut cheese or a hard vegetable by rubbing it against a special tool:
Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the vegetables.
▪ peel to cut the outside part off something such as a potato or apple:
I peeled the potatoes and put them in a saucepan.
▪ carve to cut thin pieces from a large piece of meat:
Uncle Ray carved the turkey.
▪ mow to cut the grass in a garden, park etc:
A gardener was mowing the lawn.
▪ trim ( also clip ) to cut a small amount off something, especially to make it look neater:
He was trimming his beard.
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Trim the excess fat off the meat.
II. chop 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . a small piece of meat on a bone, usually cut from a sheep or pig ⇨ steak :
a grilled pork/lamb chop
2 . the chop British English
a) if you get or are given the chop, you lose your job:
Six more staff got the chop last week.
I might be for the chop (=lose my job) .
b) if something gets or is given the chop, it is closed or stopped because people do not want to pay for it any more:
The project might get the chop.
This factory might now be for the chop (=likely to be closed) .
3 . a hard downward movement that you make with your hand:
a karate chop
4 . the act of hitting something with a sharp tool in order to cut it:
With one last chop he split the log in two.
5 . chops [plural] informal the lower part of the face of a person or animal – used humorously:
Jack was grinning all over his chops.
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THESAURUS
■ preparing food
▪ grate to cut cheese, carrot etc into small pieces by rubbing it against a special tool:
Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the top of the pasta.
▪ melt to make butter, chocolate etc become liquid:
Melt the butter, chocolate, and 1 teaspoon of cream over a low heat.
▪ sieve British English , sift American English to put flour or other powders through a ↑ sieve (=tool like a net made of wire, which you use for removing larger grains or pieces) :
Sift the flour and cocoa before adding to the rest of the mixture.
▪ chop to cut something into pieces, especially using a big knife:
Chop up the vegetables.
▪ dice to cut vegetables or meat into small square pieces:
Dice the carrots and then fry them in butter.
▪ season to add salt, pepper etc to food:
Season the meat before grilling.
▪ crush to use a lot of force to break something such as seeds into very small pieces or into a powder:
Add one clove of crushed garlic.
▪ mix to combine different foods together:
Mix together all the ingredients in one bowl.
▪ beat/whisk to mix food together quickly with a fork or other tool:
Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
▪ stir to turn food around with a spoon:
Stir the sauce gently to prevent burning.
▪ fold something in to gently mix another substance into a mixture:
Fold in the beaten egg whites.
▪ knead to press ↑ dough (=a mixture of flour and water) many times with your hands when you are making bread:
Knead the dough for ten minutes, until smooth.
▪ drizzle to slowly pour a small amount of a liquid onto something:
Drizzle with olive oil.
▪ let something stand to leave something somewhere, before you do something else with it:
Let the mixture stand for a couple of hours so that it cools naturally.
▪ serve to put different foods together as part of a meal:
Serve with rice and a salad.
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Serve the aubergines on a bed of lettuce.