chip in

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

chip in verb (adverb)

1. to contribute (money, time, etc) to a cause or fund
2. (intransitive) to interpose a remark or interrupt with a remark

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

chip¹ /tʃɪp/   n., v., chipped, chip•ping. 
n. [countable]

1. a small, slender piece, such as of wood, separated by chopping or breaking:
   Wood chips flew everywhere.
2. Food a very thin slice or small piece of food, candy, etc.:
   potato chips; chocolate chips
3. a mark or flaw made by the breaking off of a small piece:
   This glass has a chip.
4. Games a small round disk, used as a token for money in roulette, poker, etc.;
   counter:
   He put all his chips on number fifteen.
5. Electronics Also called microchip. a tiny slice of semiconducting material on which a transistor or an integrated circuit is formed:
   memory chips for computers.
6. Food chips, [plural] [Chiefly Brit.] French fries.

v. 

7. [~ + object] to break off or gouge out (a bit):
   He chipped the paint off the wall.
8. to cut or break a bit or fragment (from): [~ + object]
   to chip a tooth.
   [no object]
   My tooth chipped when I fell.
9. [~ + object] to shape or produce by cutting or flaking away pieces:
   to chip a figure out of wood.
10. chip in,
    • [~ + in + object] to give as one's share;
      contribute:
      We each chipped in five dollars.
    • [no object] to share a cost or burden by giving money, aid, or the like:
      Let's chip in on a birthday cake.
    • [no object] to interrupt a conversation and add one's own remarks:
      Right in the middle of my talk someone chipped in.

Idioms

11. Idioms chip off the old block, a person who strongly resembles a parent:
    His son is a chip off the old block.
12. Idioms have a chip on one's shoulder, to be constantly angry or ready to quarrel or fight.
13. Idioms when the chips are down, when the need for support is greatest:
    This is one guy who'll help you when the chips are down.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

chip¹  (chip), n., v., chipped, chip•ping. 
n. 

1. a small, slender piece, as of wood, separated by chopping, cutting, or breaking.
2. Food a very thin slice or small piece of food, candy, etc.:
   chocolate chips.
3. a mark or flaw made by the breaking off or gouging out of a small piece:
   This glass has a chip.
4. Games any of the small round disks, usually of plastic or ivory, used as tokens for money in certain gambling games, as roulette or poker;
   counter.
5. Electronics Also called microchip. a tiny slice of semiconducting material, generally in the shape of a square a few millimeters long, cut from a larger wafer of the material, on which a transistor or an entire integrated circuit is formed. Cf. microprocessor.
6. Jewelry a small cut or uncut piece of a diamond or crystal.
7. anything trivial or worthless.
8. something dried up or without flavor.
9. a piece of dried dung:
   buffalo chips.
10. wood, straw, etc., in thin strips for weaving into hats, baskets, etc.
11. Sport [Golf.] See chip shot. 
12. Sport [Tennis.] a softly sliced return shot with heavy backspin.
13. Sound Reproduction the strip of material removed by a recording stylus as it cuts the grooves in a record.
14. Food chips, [Chiefly Brit.] French fries.
15. Dialect Terms, Idioms chip off the old block, a person who resembles one parent in appearance or behavior:
    His son is just a chip off the old block.
16. Dialect Terms, Idioms chip on one's shoulder, a disposition to quarrel:
    You will never make friends if you go around with a chip on your shoulder.
17. Dialect Terms in the chips, [Slang.] wealthy;
    rich:
    Don't look down on your old friends now that you're in the chips.
18. Dialect Terms, Idioms when the chips are down, in a discouraging or disadvantageous situation;
    in bad or pressing times:
    When the chips are down he proves to be a loyal friend.

v.t. 

19. to hew or cut with an ax, chisel, etc.
20. to cut, break off, or gouge out (bits or fragments):
    He chipped a few pieces of ice from the large cube.
21. to disfigure by breaking off a fragment:
    to chip the edge of a saucer.
22. to shape or produce by cutting or flaking away pieces:
    to chip a figure out of wood.
23. Games to bet by means of chips, as in poker.
24. Sport [Tennis.] to slice (a ball) on a return shot, causing it to have heavy backspin.
25. Drugs, Slang Terms [Slang.] to take (a narcotic drug) occasionally, esp. only in sufficient quantity to achieve a mild euphoria.
26. British Terms, Sport [Chiefly Brit. Sports.] to hit or kick (a ball) a short distance forward.
27. British Terms to jeer or criticize severely;
    deride;
    taunt.
28. British Terms [Australian.] to hoe;
    harrow.

v.i. 

29. to break off in small pieces.
30. Sport [Golf.] to make a chip shot.
31. Dialect Terms chip in:
    • to contribute money or assistance;
      participate.
    • Games to bet a chip or chips, as in poker.
    • to interrupt a conversation to say something;
      butt in:
      We all chipped in with our suggestions for the reunion.

• 1300–50; (noun, nominal) Middle English chip (compare Old English cipp plowshare, beam, i.e., piece cut off ); (verb, verbal) late Middle English chippen (compare Old English -cippian in forcippian to cut off ); akin to Middle Low German, Middle Dutch kippen to chip eggs, hatch

chip′pa•ble, adj. 

chip²  (chip), v., chipped, chip•ping, n. 
v.i. 

1. to utter a short chirping or squeaking sound;
   cheep.

n. 

2. a short chirping or squeaking cry.

• variant of cheep 1880–85

chip³  (chip), n. [Wrestling.]

1. Sport a tricky or special method by which an opponent can be thrown.

• 1820–30; noun, nominal use of chip to trip up; cognate with German kippen to tip over, Old Norse kippa to pull