Chops are skills or abilities, especially in music or performance. When someone has “good chops,” they've developed real technical ability through practice and experience. A guitarist with excellent chops can play complicated solos smoothly. A drummer with solid chops keeps perfect rhythm and knows dozens of different patterns.

Today, people use chops beyond music. A chef might have “knife chops” from years of practice cutting vegetables. A debater might show strong “verbal chops” by arguing complicated points clearly. The word suggests more than natural talent: it implies dedicated practice and proven ability.

You might hear someone say “I need to practice my chops” before an important performance, or “she's got the chops for that job” when describing someone with solid skills. The phrase busting your chops means something completely different: it means teasing or criticizing someone, like when your brother keeps bothering you about striking out in baseball.