chopstick

From Chinese Pidgin English chop (“quick”) (compare chop-chop) + stick. The first element is a calque of Chinese 筷子 (kuàizi, “chopstick”), derived from 快 (kuài, “quick”).

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chopstick (plural chopsticks)

1. (usually in the plural) An East Asian eating utensil usually used as a pair and held in one hand to grip pieces of food or occasionally to mix liquids or scoop up small pieces of food. The utensil is a stick, usually made of wood and measuring approximately 23cm (10 inches) in length.
   • 1906 January, R. T. Booth, “Medical and Surgical Notes”, in China Medical Missionary Journal‎, volume XX, number 1, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 75:

     It took three months’ massage twice a day for ten minutes to bring the muscles to a good condition, and the boy left the hospital able to lift weights as well as to use his chop-sticks.

2. (ethnic slur) An Asian person.

• chopstick rest

• chop chop
• stick

chopstick (third-person singular simple present chopsticks, present participle chopsticking, simple past and past participle chopsticked)

1. (transitive, intransitive, informal) To pick up (food) using chopsticks.

• Wikipedia article on chopsticks