chip

chip chip [tʆɪp] noun

1. also silicon chip [countable] COMPUTING a small electronic device, used in a computer to store information, organize the computer's operating system, run programs etc; = MICROCHIP:

• Each chip can hold 100 times the information contained on a standard magnetic-stripe card.

2. FINANCE informal a share in a company:

• Brokers will start bidding for chips in the company as soon as the London market opens.

ˈblue chip [countable usually plural] FINANCE

a share in a well-managed, successful company with a long record of paying profits to shareholders during good and bad economic times:

• Wall Street closed Thursday with blue chips falling and technology stocks managing a slight gain.

ˈred chip [countable usually plural] FINANCE

a share in a Chinese company that is listed on the Hong Kong stockmarket:

• Hong Kong made strong gains in response to a surge in red chips.

— see also bargaining chip

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chip UK US /tʃɪp/ noun [C] (also microchip, also silicon chip) IT

► a very small piece of electronic equipment that is used in computers and other electronic equipment for performing many tasks: »

The company's chips are designed to deliver low power consumption and high performance, and are intended for mobile devices.

»

Today you can put over a hundred million transistors on a tiny little computer chip.

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As prices for memory chips fell in recent months, the computer maker slashed prices on its products.

→ See also BARGAINING CHIP(Cf. ↑bargaining chip), BLUE CHIP(Cf. ↑blue chip) noun, RED CHIP(Cf. ↑red chip)