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
At Kwan Kee Claypot Rice, two of us were seated with three Hong Kong students who showed us how to rinse our chopsticks and bowls in hot tea before the food arrived.
—Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Avoid damaging roots as much as possible by using a small spoon or chopsticks to transplant your seedlings.
—Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 2025
The final scene of the final episode of Cobra Kai is a pitch-perfect callback to a scene in the original 1984 Karate Kid movie where Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) surprises Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) by catching a fly with his chopsticks.
—Breanne L. Heldman, People.com, 15 Feb. 2025
Mix together with a pair of chopsticks until all the flakes come together in a shaggy ball.
—Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chopstick
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Avoid damaging roots as much as possible by using a small spoon or chopsticks to transplant your seedlings.
—Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 2025
The final scene of the final episode of Cobra Kai is a pitch-perfect callback to a scene in the original 1984 Karate Kid movie where Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) surprises Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) by catching a fly with his chopsticks.
—Breanne L. Heldman, People.com, 15 Feb. 2025
Mix together with a pair of chopsticks until all the flakes come together in a shaggy ball.
—Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 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 6 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share