Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CHAP, n.² [Sax. ceafl, a beak, or chap; plur. ceaflas, the chaps.]

The upper and lower part of the mouth; the jaw. It is applied to beasts, and vulgarly to men; generally in the plural, the chaps or mouth.

CHAP, n.³

A man or a boy; a youth. It is used also in the sense of a buyer. “If you want to sell, here is your chap.” In this sense it coincides with chapman. [See Cheap.] – Steele.

CHAP, v.i.¹

To crack; to open in long slits; as, the earth chaps; the hands chap.

CHAP, v.i.² [Sax. ceapian.]

To cheapen. [Not used.]

CHAP, v.t. [Ar. جَبَّ jabba, to cut off or out, to castrate; جَابَ jauba, to split, rend, tear, or cleave, to cut. It seems to be allied to the G. and D. kappen, Dan. kapper, Fr. couper; but these agree better with Ar. كَبَعَ or كَيَفَ kafa or kaifa, to cut. See Chop and Gape. Chap is sometimes pronounced chop.]

To cleave, split, crack, or open longitudinally, as the surface of the earth, or the skin and flesh of the hand. Dry weather chaps the earth; cold dry winds chap the hands.

CHAP'BOOK, n. [See Chapman and Cheap.]

A small book or pamphlet, carried about for sale by hawkers.

CHAPE, n. [Fr. chape, the tongue of a buckle, a cover, a churchman's cope, the head of an alembic; Arm. chap; Sp. chapa, a thin plate of metal covering some kind of work. Qu. cap.]

1. The catch of any thing, as the hook of a scabbard, or the catch of a buckle, by which it is held to the back strap.
2. A brass or silver tip or case, that strengthens the end of scabbard. – Johnson. Phillips.

CHA-PEAU', n. [shappo; Fr.]

A hat; in heraldry, a cap or bonnet.

CHAP'EL, n. [Fr. chapelle; L capella; Arm. chapel; Sp. capilla, a chapel, a hood or cowl, a chapter of collegians, a proof-sheet; Port. capella; It. cappella; D. kapel; from the same root as cap. It is said that the kings of France, in war, carried St. Martin's hat into the field, which was kept in a tent as a precious relic, whence the place took the name capella, a little hat, and the priest who had the custody of the tent was called capellanus, now chaplain. Hence the word chapel came to signify a private oratory. – Encyc. Lunier.]

1. A house for public worship; primarily, a private oratory, or house of worship belonging to a private person. In Great Britain there are several sorts of chapels; as, parochial chapels, distinct from the mother church; chapels which adjoin to and are a part of the church; such were formerly built by honorable persons for burying-places; chapels of ease, built in large parishes for the accommodation of the inhabitants; free chapels, which were founded by the kings of England; chapels in the universities, belonging to particular colleges; domestic chapels, built by noblemen or gentlemen for the use of their families. – Encyc.
2. A printer's work-house; said to be so called because printing was first carried on in a chapel. – Bailey. Encyc.

CHAP'EL, v.t.

To deposit in a chapel. – Beaum.

CHAPE'LESS, a.

Without a chape.

CHAP'EL-ET, or CHAP'LET, n. [Fr. chapelet.]

A pair of stirrup leathers, with stirrups, joined at the top in a sort of leather buckle, by which they are made fast to the pommel of the saddle, after they have been adjusted to the length and bearing of the rider. – Farrier's Dict.

CHAP'EL-ING, n.

The act of turning a ship round in a light breeze of wind, when close hauled, so that she will lie same way as before. – Mar. Dict.

CHAP'EL-LA-NY, n.

A place founded within some church and dependent thereon. – Ayliffe.

CHAP'EL-RY, n.

The bounds or jurisdiction of a chapel.

CHAP'E-RON, n. [Fr.]

A hood or cap worn by the knights of the garter in their habits. It was anciently worn by men, women, nobles and populace; afterward appropriated to doctors and licentiates in colleges. The name then passed to certain devices placed on the foreheads of horses which drew the hearse in pompous funerals. – Johnson. Encyc.

CHAP'E-RON, v.t.

To attend on a lady in a public assembly. – Chalmers.

CHAP-E-RON'ED, pp.

Waited on in a public assembly by a male or female friend.

CHAP-E-RON'ING, ppr.

Attending on a female in a public assembly.

CHAP'-FAL-LEN, a. [chap and fall.]

Having the lower chap depressed; hence, dejected; dispirited; silenced. – B. Jonson.

CHAP'I-TER, n. [Fr. chapiteau; It. capitello; L. capitellum, from caput, a head. This is a different word for capital.]

1. The upper part or capital of a column or pillar. [Obs. See Capital.]
2. That which is delivered by the mouth of the justice in his charge to the inquest. – Encyc.

CHAP'LAIN, n. [Fr. chapelain; Sp. capellan; It. cappellano; L. capellanus; from chapel.]

1. An ecclesiastic who has a chapel, or who performs service in a chapel. The king of Great Britain has forty-eight chaplains, who attend, four each month, to perform divine service for the royal family. Princes also, and persons of quality have chaplains, who officiate in their chapels.
2. A clergyman who belongs to a ship of war, or to a regiment of land forces, for performing divine service.
3. A clergyman who is retained to perform divine service in a family. Chaplains of the Pope, are auditors or judges of causes in the sacred palace. – Encyc.

CHAP'LAIN-CY, n.

The office or station of a chaplain.

CHAP'LAIN-SHIP, n.

1. The office or business of a chaplain.
2. The possession or revenue of a chapel. – Johnson.

CHAP'LESS, a.

Without any flesh about the mouth. – Bailey. Shak.