choppy

choppy [chop-ee] Word Origin adjective, chop·pi·er, chop·pi·est.

1. (of the sea, a lake, etc.) forming short, irregular, broken waves.
2. (of the wind) shifting or changing suddenly or irregularly; variable.
3. uneven in style or quality or characterized by poorly related parts: The book was a choppy first novel.

Origin of choppy First recorded in 1595–1605; chop2 + -y1 Related formschop·pi·ly, adverbchop·pi·ness, noun British Dictionary definitions for choppiness choppy adjective -pier or -piest

1. (of the sea, weather, etc) fairly rough

Derived Formschoppily, adverbchoppiness, noun Word Origin and History for choppiness choppy adj.

1830 (of seas), from chop (v.2) + -y (2). Earlier in this sense was chopping (1630s).