Illustration of chopstick
chopstick
noun
chop·stick
ˈchäp-ˌstik 
plural chopsticks
: one of a pair of slender sticks (as of wood or plastic) held between the thumb and fingers and used to lift food to the mouth
Never spear food with a chopstick! If you're having trouble picking up your food, a spoon is your plan B.—
Laura Barry
—usually used in pluralLaura BarryTo eat rice, both etiquette and practicality dictate that you use chopsticks to pick up a morsel of meat, fish, or whatever …; position it over the rice bowl, allowing its juices or sauce to drip into the rice; eat the morsel; then shovel some rice into your mouth with the chopsticks.—Saveur
Saveur"… I do get uncomfortable when people use chopsticks for every Asian food. Traditionally, I may use chopsticks when my food is served in a soup bowl with noodles or rice, but we often use forks and spoons for our dishes. …"—Darrell Loo, quoted in Feast
Darrell Loo, quoted in Feast
Examples of chopstick in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To clean Belgian or mini waffle iron plates, wrap the pointy end of a chopstick in a damp paper towel and use it to wipe away batter and oil residue.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2025
Spider wrestling, as it is traditionally practiced in the Philippines, involves putting two female spiders at opposing edges of a narrow stick (one that resembles a long chopstick).
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
The Starship's launch booster, which SpaceX calls Super Heavy, successfully separated from the vehicle and for only the third time, executed a return to its launch site, where it was caught in mid-air by chopstick-like arms on its launch tower.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Use the straw as a single chopstick to dredge the fruit up to the rim?
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chopstick
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Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2025
Spider wrestling, as it is traditionally practiced in the Philippines, involves putting two female spiders at opposing edges of a narrow stick (one that resembles a long chopstick).
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
The Starship's launch booster, which SpaceX calls Super Heavy, successfully separated from the vehicle and for only the third time, executed a return to its launch site, where it was caught in mid-air by chopstick-like arms on its launch tower.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Use the straw as a single chopstick to dredge the fruit up to the rim?
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chopstick
Cite this Entry
“Chopstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chopstick. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chopstick
noun
chop·stick
ˈchäp-ˌstik
: one of a pair of slender sticks used chiefly in Asian countries to lift food to the mouth
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