Chipped

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /t͡ʃɪpt/

Definitions

1. Being marked by small fragments that have broken away from the exterior Signifying an object with surface damage leading to visible imperfections Indicating a condition where parts of a surface are missing or have deteriorated due to wear and tear
2. Having a small part broken or missing from the edge or surface ; adorned or decorated with tiny pieces of a contrasting substance
3. Displaying damage where a fragment has fractured away from the surface ; embellished by attaching small fragments for aesthetic effect

Etymology: "Chipped" is the past tense and past participle of "chip", and its history runs through a surprisingly violent sense. The Old English noun "ċipp" meant a small piece of wood or a shaving, and it grew out of the verb "ċippian", "to cut or hew", which survives in the compound "forċippian", "to cut off". Both trace back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to chip, chop", so the earliest sense of the family was simply the act of cutting something apart. The adjective "chipped" describes an object that has lost a small fragment from its edge, which is exactly the idea of a piece being cut away. Its root is also related to Dutch "kip" and German Low German "kippen", both of which describe notching or cutting, so the sense of a nick or small removal has stayed close to the original meaning.

Synonyms: broken, damaged, fragmented, cracked, shattered

Antonyms: whole, intact, unbroken, undamaged, complete