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 plural

To 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

"… 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

Illustration of chopstick

Examples of chopstick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Don’t point to things with chopsticks or commit the double-dipping sin of taking food from a common plate with chopsticks that have been in your mouth. —Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2025

The restaurant’s name is also a nod to the Philippines being one of the few Asian countries where meals are eaten with a spoon and fork rather than chopsticks. —Irene Milanez, Sacbee.com, 20 July 2025

Instead of ketchup, sriracha bottles sit alongside tins of chopsticks and stainless steel napkin dispensers on every table. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 17 July 2025

Common slip-ups in Japan include talking loudly in public, tipping, and using chopsticks incorrectly. —Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Chinese Pidgin English chop fast + English stick

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chopstick

• broomstick
• dipstick
• homesick
• joystick
• lipstick
• nonstick
• pickwick
• picnic
• redbrick
• seasick
• sidekick
• slapstick

Kids 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