chopstick

noun

chop·​stick ˈchäp-ˌstik 

plural chopsticks

: one of a pair of slender sticks (as of wood or plastic) held between the thumb and fingers and used to lift food to the mouth

Never spear food with a chopstick! If you're having trouble picking up your food, a spoon is your plan B.

—Laura Barry

—usually used in plural

To eat rice, both etiquette and practicality dictate that you use chopsticks to pick up a morsel of meat, fish, or whatever …; position it over the rice bowl, allowing its juices or sauce to drip into the rice; eat the morsel; then shovel some rice into your mouth with the chopsticks.

—Saveur

"… I do get uncomfortable when people use chopsticks for every Asian food. Traditionally, I may use chopsticks when my food is served in a soup bowl with noodles or rice, but we often use forks and spoons for our dishes. …"

—Darrell Loo, quoted in Feast

Illustration of chopstick

Examples of chopstick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Use the straw as a single chopstick to dredge the fruit up to the rim? —Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2025

Using a bar spoon or chopstick, stir gently until the liquid is chilled. —Derek Brown, Saveur, 29 Jan. 2025

Super Heavy, meanwhile, will be reusing Raptor engine number 314, which flew on Booster 12 and was spectacularly caught by the tower chopsticks on Flight Test 5, in a small step toward reusability. —Andrew Jones, Space.com, 6 Jan. 2025

And for optimal slurping, these are the best chopsticks. —Melissa Kirsch, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Chinese Pidgin English chop fast + English stick

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

chopstick

noun

chop·​stick ˈchäp-ˌstik 

: one of a pair of slender sticks used chiefly in Asian countries to lift food to the mouth