chap
In Southern talk, a baby or young child; elsewhere, a fellow.
Also called chaps.
Updated September 21, 2026
chap pronunciation
/CHAP/
Meaning
Ask a British speaker and chap means a man. Ask older Southern and South Midland folks and chap often means a little one still in diapers or just out of them. Sometimes it leans boy. The plural chaps can cover the whole brood. In Ozark country some speakers never used it for grown men at all, so context matters before you picture a grown fella.
How folks use it
- “She's got a new chap at home and ain't slept in a week.”
- “Keep an eye on them chaps by the creek.”
Origin and etymology
Shortened from chapman, an old word for a buyer or trader, then stretched to mean a fellow. That man sense is still the British everyday use. Across the South and South Midland, regional English developed a separate sense for a baby or young child, recorded in dialect surveys from Georgia and Alabama up through Kentucky, Virginia, and the Ozarks.
Frequently asked questions
Does chap mean a man or a kid?
Depends where you are. British-style talk uses it for a man. Old Southern country talk often means a child.