chap

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈchap How to pronounce chap (audio)
Synonyms of chapnext
: 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

chap

3 of 5

noun (2)

ˈchäp How to pronounce chap (audio) ˈchap How to pronounce chap (audio)
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)

ˈchap How to pronounce chap (audio)
1
chiefly British : fellow sense 4c
2
Southern US and Midland US : baby, child

chap

5 of 5

abbreviation

chapter

Synonyms

Noun (3)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
But under all that fabric are leather chaps and harnesses, rubber body suits and frilly underwear. — P.e. Moskowitz, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025 Didn’t the rhinestones and leather chaps set off any alarm bells? — Blake Smith, airmail.news, 25 Jan. 2025
Verb
Burt's Bees Rescue Lip Relief with Flavor Burt's Bees Rescue Lip Relief soothes your cracked and chapped lips with an effective and delightful formula. — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025 Even Twice’s Nayeon, one of South Korea’s most popular K-pop stars, is obsessed with the thick, cushiony formula that stays on overnight and smooths chapped, peeling lips. — Sarah Y. Wu, Glamour, 19 Feb. 2025 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

Rhymes for chap

See All Rhymes for chap

Browse Nearby Words

chap
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Cite this Entry

“Chap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chap. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

chap

1 of 3 noun
ˈchap How to pronounce chap (audio)
: 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
: fellow entry 1 sense 4a
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
ˈchap How to pronounce chap (audio)
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

Nglish: Translation of chap for Spanish Speakers

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