English Explanatory Dictionary

chopstick

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. 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.
  2. An Asian person.
  3. A long straight stick forming part of various fishing tackle arrangements.
verb
  1. To pick up (food), or eat, using chopsticks, or as with chopsticks.

Pronunciation

/ˈt͡ʃɒp.stɪk/ /ˈt͡ʃɑp.stɪk/ En-us-chopstick.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-chopstick.wav

Word forms

chopstick chopsticks chop-stick chopsticking chopsticked

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.

Related words

stick waribashi

Derived words

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