chap

1 of 5

noun (1)

: a crack in or a sore roughening of the skin caused by exposure to wind or cold

chap

2 of 5

verb

chapped; chapping

intransitive verb

: to open in cracks, slits, or chinks
also : to become cracked, roughened, or reddened especially by the action of wind or cold
hands often chap in winter

transitive verb

: to cause to chap
wind-chapped lips
1
: the fleshy covering of a jaw
also : jaw
usually used in plural
a wolf's chaps
2
: the forepart of the face
usually used in plural

chap

4 of 5

noun (3)

1
chiefly British : fellow sense 4c
2
Southern US and Midland US : baby, child

chap

5 of 5

abbreviation

Examples of chap in a Sentence

Noun (3) a couple of chaps kindly gave us directions to Buckingham Palace a cute little chap
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Then both chaps in the room would turn to the wall and face away from the actors, which gave the actors a chance to get up out of the bed and put robes on. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024 In Toronto, the dance centered around a superstar gay in chaps and a Rush T-shirt doing the dance perfectly. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2024
Verb
Some people experience extremely dry skin when gestating a human, and chapped lips can be a huge hassle. Malia Griggs, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2024 This set of two oils is designed to combat chapped and dry lips, providing a nourishing solution for a perfect pout. Hyphensocial Contributors, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for chap 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English chappes, plural, from chappen

Verb

Middle English chappen; akin to Middle Dutch cappen to cut down

Noun (2)

origin unknown

Noun (3)

short for chapman

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chap was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near chap

Cite this Entry

“Chap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chap. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

chap

1 of 3 noun
: a crack or a sore roughening of the skin from exposure especially to wind or cold

chap

2 of 3 verb
chapped; chapping
: to open in slits or cracks
also : to become cracked, roughened, or reddened
chapped lips

chap

3 of 3 noun
chiefly British
Etymology

Noun

Middle English chappes "cracks in skin," from chappen "to crack"

Verb

Middle English chappen "to crack (of skin)"

Noun

shortened form of chapman "merchant," from Old English cēapman "merchant," from cēap "trade" and man "man" — related to cheap

Medical Definition

chap

1 of 2 verb
chapped; chapping

intransitive verb

: to crack or open in slits
the hands and lips often chap in winter

transitive verb

: to cause to open in slits or cracks
chapped lips

chap

2 of 2 noun
: a crack in or a sore roughening of the skin caused by exposure to wind or cold

More from Merriam-Webster on chap

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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