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chip

chip (microchip; also food chip)

noun cheep Rare
Communication Technology

Origin: English loanword, borrowed into Italian in the late 20th century.

Usage Note

Chip is an invariable masculine noun — the plural is still i chip (no -s added). It covers both a microchip (il chip del processore) and a crisp/potato chip (le patatine chip). Its invariability is a common source of confusion for learners.

Examples

"Il chip del telefono è molto piccolo."

Natural Translation

The phone's chip is very small.

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