Also 6–7 choppe. [app. f. CHOP sb.2 in the sense of ‘take with the chops’; but probably vaguely associated also with those senses of CHOP v.1 that express sudden action.]
† 1. trans. To take into the chops and eat; to snap up. Obs.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 350. With your fingers you handle the reall, corporall, substanciall, identicall presence of Christ, behold the same with your eyes, and choppe him uppe at a morsell.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, IV. xxviii. (1840), 230. With which [goods] the waves played a little, and then chopped them up at a morsel.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl., IV. v. (1675), 195. A large Fish, espying the Fly … having greedily chop’d it up [etc.].
1701. J. Collier, M. Aurel., 244. She does not chop him up at a Mouthful, like the Sphinx.
† 2. fig. Applied to hurried reading or speaking in which the words are ‘swallowed’ or bolted. Obs.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. 74. Which maketh them [Reading ministers] to gallop it ouer as fast as they can, and to chop it vp with all possible expedition, though none vnderstand them.
c. 1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, To chop up Prayers, to huddle them up, or slubber them over.
† 3. intr. To snap, to bite at. Obs.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe (1871), 76. [The fish] seeing the mark fall so just in his mouth, chopped a-loft and snapped her up.
1648. Herrick, Hesper., Chop Cherry. Thou mad’st me chop, but yet, Another snapt the cherry.
1687. H. More, App. Antid. (1712), 184. If a Dog chop at the bigger morsel.
1694. R. L’Estrange, Fables, xcvi. (1714), 111. The Common People will Chop like Trouts at an Artificial Fly.
4. trans. Hunting. To seize (prey) before it has time to get fairly away from cover.
a. 1624. Bp. M. Smith, Serm. (1632), 201. While the Vrchin … creepes forth to sucke the cow, he is dogged, and chopped in.
1757. Foote, Author, I. 28. The Pleasure of this Play, like hunting, does not consist in immediately chopping the Prey.
1781. P. Beckford, Hunting, 141. Harefinders are of one great use: they hinder your hounds from chopping hares, which they otherwise could not fail to do.
1875. ‘Stonehenge,’ Brit. Sports, I. I. vii. § 8. 108/1. The spaniels will … even chop them occasionally; but … the bird [woodcock] is very nimble in evading the jaws of his enemy.
1888. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., s.v., Bad luck, the hounds chopped a fox in Tripp brake, and after that ’twas a blank.
† b. trans. To seize. Obs.
1726. Shelvocke, Voy. round World, 449. David Griffith,… who was chopp’d, that is, seiz’d till the man who was guilty of the crime was deliver’d to them.
