Ask Difference

Chap vs. Chop — What's the Difference?

By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 3, 2024
Chap refers to a crack in skin due to dryness or exposure, while chop involves cutting something into pieces with sharp blows.
Chap vs. Chop — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Chap and Chop

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Key Differences

Chap primarily describes skin that is cracked or fissured as a result of being overly dry or exposed to harsh conditions, often seen in lips or hands. Whereas, chop is used to describe the act of cutting or severing something into smaller parts using a sharp tool, typically in the context of food preparation but also applicable to wood and other materials.
Chap can also imply the wearing of leather garments like chaps, protective gear worn by cowboys and horse riders to protect their legs from injury and brush. On the other hand, chop can refer to a specific type of food cut, especially meat cut perpendicularly to the spine as in pork chops or lamb chops, indicating a specific form and thickness suitable for grilling or frying.
The term chap might be used metaphorically to describe landscapes or other materials that show signs of cracking or splitting, symbolizing dryness and deterioration. Chop, conversely, extends into various other meanings, such as in sports (a chop in tennis or golf), which implies a swift, downward stroke that is intended to reduce the flight of the ball.
In the realm of interpersonal interactions, to "chap" someone might colloquially mean to irritate or annoy them, usually because of abrasive behavior. Conversely, "chop" can colloquially mean to reject or cut off in a conversation or negotiation, signifying a blunt or abrupt dismissal.
Chaps are essential in certain work environments, such as in ranching or logging, where physical barriers against the elements and hazards are necessary. Whereas chops are fundamental in culinary arts, where precise cuts can affect the cooking process and presentation of food.
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Comparison Chart

Definition

Cracking of skin due to dryness.
Cutting into pieces with a sharp blow.

Usage in Clothing

Leather garments worn for protection.
Not applicable.

Metaphoric Use

Describes dried, cracked landscapes.
Describes a swift, effective action in sports.

Colloquial Meaning

To irritate or annoy.
To reject or cut off in conversation.

Application

Protective in harsh environments.
Essential in culinary preparation and sports techniques.

Compare with Definitions

Chap

A cowboy’s leather trousers without a seat, worn to protect the legs.
He wore chaps to protect his legs while riding through the brush.

Chop

Colloquially, to cut off or interrupt.
The manager chopped him off mid-presentation.

Chap

Colloquial for causing irritation or annoyance.
His constant complaining really chaps my hide.

Chop

To cut something into small pieces with repeated sharp blows.
She chopped the carrots finely for the stew.

Chap

A crack or fissure in the skin, especially on the lips or hands.
The cold weather caused her lips to chap.

Chop

A downward, slicing stroke in sports.
His chop shot in tennis caught his opponent off-guard.

Chap

A split or division in materials like wood or earth.
The drought led to large chaps in the ground.

Chop

To refine or reduce something drastically.
Budget cuts forced the department to chop their spending.

Chap

Protective clothing in hazardous environments.
The logger's chaps prevented injuries from the chainsaw.

Chop

A thick slice of meat cut perpendicular to the spine.
He grilled pork chops for dinner.

Chap

To cause (the skin) to roughen, redden, or crack, especially as a result of cold or exposure
The headwind chapped the cyclist's lips.

Chop

Cut (something) into pieces with repeated sharp blows of an axe or knife
They chopped up the pulpit for firewood
Finely chop the parsley

Chap

To split or become rough and sore
Skin that chaps easily in winter.

Chop

Abolish or reduce the size of (something) in a way regarded as ruthless
Their training courses are to be chopped

Chap

A sore roughening or splitting of the skin, caused especially by cold or exposure.

Chop

Change one's opinions or behaviour repeatedly and abruptly
Teachers are fed up with having to chop and change with every twist in government policy

Chap

A man or boy; a fellow.

Chop

A downward cutting blow or movement, typically with the hand
An effective chop to the back of the neck

Chap

A man, a fellow.
Who’s that chap over there?

Chop

A thick slice of meat, especially pork or lamb, adjacent to and often including a rib
He lived on liver or chops

Chap

A customer, a buyer.

Chop

A person's share of something.

Chap

(Southern US) A child.

Chop

Crushed or ground grain used as animal feed
The pile of chop was dropped into the calves' feeder

Chap

A cleft, crack, or chink, as in the surface of the earth, or in the skin.

Chop

The broken motion of water, owing to the action of the wind against the tide
We started our run into a two-foot chop

Chap

(obsolete) A division; a breach, as in a party.

Chop

A trademark; a brand of goods.

Chap

(Scotland) A blow; a rap.

Chop

To cut by striking with a heavy sharp tool, such as an axe
Chop wood.

Chap

The jaw.

Chop

To shape or form by chopping
Chop a hole in the ice.

Chap

One of the jaws or cheeks of a vice, etc.

Chop

To cut into small pieces
Chop onions and carrots.
Chop up meat.

Chap

Clipping of chapter

Chop

To reduce abruptly or by a large amount
Chopped off his sentence midway.
Are going to chop expenses.

Chap

(intransitive) Of the skin, to split or flake due to cold weather or dryness.

Chop

(Sports) To hit or swing at (a pitched ball) with a short downward stroke.

Chap

(transitive) To cause to open in slits or chinks; to split; to cause the skin of to crack or become rough.

Chop

To make heavy, cutting strokes.

Chap

To strike, knock.

Chop

(Archaic) To move roughly or suddenly.

Chap

To cause to open in slits or chinks; to split; to cause the skin of to crack or become rough.
Then would unbalanced heat licentious reign,Crack the dry hill, and chap the russet plain.
Nor winter's blast chap her fair face.

Chop

To change direction suddenly, as a ship in the wind.

Chap

To strike; to beat.

Chop

The act of chopping.

Chap

To crack or open in slits; as, the earth chaps; the hands chap.

Chop

A swift, short, cutting blow or stroke.

Chap

To strike; to knock; to rap.

Chop

(Sports) A short downward stroke.

Chap

To bargain; to buy.

Chop

A piece that has been chopped off, especially a cut of meat, usually taken from the rib, shoulder, or loin and containing a bone.

Chap

A cleft, crack, or chink, as in the surface of the earth, or in the skin.

Chop

A short irregular motion of waves.

Chap

A division; a breach, as in a party.
Many clefts and chaps in our council board.

Chop

An area of choppy water, as on an ocean.

Chap

A blow; a rap.

Chop

The official stamp or seal of a government, company, or individual, especially in China.

Chap

One of the jaws or the fleshy covering of a jaw; - commonly in the plural, and used of animals, and colloquially of human beings.
His chaps were all besmeared with crimson blood.
He unseamed him [Macdonald] from the nave to the chaps.

Chop

Quality; class
First chop.

Chap

One of the jaws or cheeks of a vise, etc.

Chop

A cut of meat, often containing a section of a rib.
I only like lamb chops with mint jelly.

Chap

A buyer; a chapman.
If you want to sell, here is your chap.

Chop

A blow with an axe, cleaver, or similar utensil.
It should take just one good chop to fell the sapling.

Chap

A man or boy; a youth; a fellow.

Chop

(martial arts) A blow delivered with the hand rigid and outstretched.
A karate chop.

Chap

A boy or man;
That chap is your host
There's a fellow at the door
He's a likable cuss

Chop

Ocean waves, generally caused by wind, distinguished from swell by being smaller and not lasting as long.

Chap

A long narrow depression in a surface

Chop

(poker) A hand where two or more players have an equal-valued hand, resulting in the chips being shared equally between them.
With both players having an ace-high straight, the pot was a chop.

Chap

A crack in a lip caused usually by cold

Chop

Termination, especially from employment; the sack.

Chap

(usually in the plural) leather leggings without a seat; joined by a belt; often have flared outer flaps; worn over trousers by cowboys to protect their legs

Chop

A woodchopping competition.

Chap

Crack due to dehydration;
My lips chap in this dry weather

Chop

(dated) A crack or cleft; a chap.

Chop

A turn of fortune; change; a vicissitude.

Chop

A jaw of an animal.

Chop

A movable jaw or cheek, as of a vice.

Chop

The land at each side of the mouth of a river, harbour, or channel.
East Chop; West Chop

Chop

An official stamp or seal, as in China and India.

Chop

A mark indicating nature, quality, or brand.
Silk of the first chop

Chop

A license or passport that has been sealed.

Chop

A complete shipment.
A chop of tea

Chop

(internet) An IRC channel operator.

Chop

(transitive) To cut into pieces with short, vigorous cutting motions.
Chop wood; chop an onion

Chop

(transitive) To sever with an axe or similar implement.
Chop off his head.

Chop

(transitive) to give a downward cutting blow or movement, typically with the side of the hand.

Chop

To hit the ball downward so that it takes a high bounce.

Chop

(poker) To divide the pot (or tournament prize) between two or more players. en

Chop

(intransitive) To make a quick, heavy stroke or a series of strokes, with or as with an ax.

Chop

(intransitive) To do something suddenly with an unexpected motion; to catch or attempt to seize.

Chop

(intransitive) To interrupt; with in or out.

Chop

To remove the final character from (a text string).

Chop

(obsolete) To exchange, to barter; to swap.

Chop

To chap or crack.

Chop

(nautical) To vary or shift suddenly.
The wind chops about.

Chop

(obsolete) To twist words.

Chop

To converse, discuss, or speak with another.

Chop

To cut by striking repeatedly with a sharp instrument; to cut into pieces; to mince; - often with up.

Chop

To sever or separate by one more blows of a sharp instrument; to divide; - usually with off or down.
Chop off your hand, and it to the king.

Chop

To seize or devour greedily; - with up.
Upon the opening of his mouth he drops his breakfast, which the fox presently chopped up.

Chop

To make a quick strike, or repeated strokes, with an ax or other sharp instrument.

Chop

To do something suddenly with an unexpected motion; to catch or attempt to seize.
Out of greediness to get both, he chops at the shadow, and loses the substance.

Chop

To interrupt; - with in or out.
This fellow interrupted the sermon, even suddenly chopping in.

Chop

To barter or truck.

Chop

To exchange; substitute one thing for another.
We go on chopping and changing our friends.

Chop

To purchase by way of truck.

Chop

To vary or shift suddenly; as, the wind chops about.

Chop

To wrangle; to altercate; to bandy words.
Let not the counsel at the bar chop with the judge.

Chop

A change; a vicissitude.

Chop

The act of chopping; a stroke.

Chop

A piece chopped off; a slice or small piece, especially of meat; as, a mutton chop.

Chop

A crack or cleft. See Chap.

Chop

A jaw of an animal; - commonly in the pl. See Chops.

Chop

A movable jaw or cheek, as of a wooden vise.

Chop

The land at each side of the mouth of a river, harbor, or channel; as, East Chop or West Chop. See Chops.

Chop

Quality; brand; as, silk of the first chop.

Chop

A permit or clearance.

Chop

A small cut of meat including part of a rib

Chop

A tennis return made with a downward motion that puts backspin on the ball

Chop

A grounder that bounces high in the air

Chop

Cut into pieces;
Chop wood
Chop meat

Chop

Move suddenly

Chop

Strike sharply, as in some sports

Chop

Cut with a hacking tool

Chop

Hit sharply

Common Curiosities

Can "chap" refer to anything other than skin or clothing?

Yes, "chap" can metaphorically describe any surface that shows cracks or splits, such as dry ground.

How is "chop" used in cooking?

In cooking, "chop" means to cut food into smaller pieces, often in preparation for cooking.

How does "chop" apply in sports?

In sports like tennis or golf, a "chop" refers to a downward, slicing stroke intended to reduce the flight of the ball.

What materials are chaps typically made from?

Chaps are usually made from sturdy leather or synthetic materials designed to offer protection.

Is "chap" used in modern language?

Yes, "chap" is still used, especially in contexts related to dry weather conditions affecting skin, or in certain colloquial expressions.

Can "chop" be used in a non-physical context?

Yes, "chop" can also mean to eliminate or reduce something non-physically, such as reducing details in a story or budget.

What does a "pork chop" signify?

A "pork chop" is a thick slice of pork cut perpendicularly to the spine, usually containing a rib or part of a vertebra.

What does "chap" mean in relation to skin?

"Chap" refers to the cracking or fissuring of skin due to dryness or cold weather.

How does one typically treat chapped skin?

Chapped skin is usually treated with moisturizers or balms to hydrate and protect the skin.

What does it mean to "chap someone's hide"?

"Chap someone's hide" is a colloquial expression meaning to irritate or annoy someone intensely.

Are chaps still used today?

Yes, chaps are still used, particularly in professions like horse riding and ranching for leg protection.

What does it mean to "chop" a budget?

To "chop" a budget means to make significant reductions or cuts in the allocated spending.

What is the significance of the cut in chops in culinary terms?

The cut in chops, such as pork or lamb chops, is significant as it affects how the meat cooks and its final tenderness and flavor.

How do sports techniques use the term "chop"?

In sports, techniques like the chop are used to control the ball's movement or impact, utilizing a sharp, quick motion.

What kitchen tool is most associated with chopping?

The chef’s knife is the kitchen tool most commonly associated with chopping due to its versatility and sharp edge.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Fiza Rafique
Fiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat

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