Definitions
Cuts with sharp blows or pieces of meat.
Word origin
From the plural of chop (“jaw, side of a harbour”). The jazz slang sense “musical ability” is a reference to the use of the lips to blow instruments.
Used in a sentence
“Although the bass player had no experience playing in New Orleans, the crowd's enthusiastic response showed that he had the chops to make it in the very particular Crescent City jazz scene.”
“Recently, I have taken up the double bass again, but because time and neglect erode ability, calluses turn soft, and muscle memory fades, I need to woodshed (practice) to get back into shape and build up my chops.”
“Although he did not know all of the ins and outs of the newsroom, he had the writing chops to become a regular contributor.”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer1 curated clues
01“Kitchen knife cuts”5 letters
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