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chap¹

(chăp)

v. chapped, chap·ping, chaps

v.tr.

To cause (the skin) to roughen, redden, or crack, especially as a result of cold or exposure: The headwind chapped the cyclist's lips.

v.intr.

To split or become rough and sore: skin that chaps easily in winter.

A sore roughening or splitting of the skin, caused especially by cold or exposure.

[Middle English chappen.]

chap²

(chăp)

n.
Chiefly British

A man or boy; a fellow.

[Short for CHAPMAN.]

chaps

(chăps, shăps)

pl.n.

Leg coverings of leather or another durable material, worn usually over trousers, as by ranch hands or loggers, to protect the legs while working.

[Short for American Spanish chaparreras, from Spanish chaparro, chaparral; see CHAPARRAL.]

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chaps

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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