Meaning
Small pieces of paper punched out from the edges of continuous stationery, or from ballot papers, paper tape, punched cards, etc.
Etymology
Origin: Unknown
Uncertain; possibly from the English slang term chat (“louse”). The word predates the chadless punch, which therefore cannot be its origin, and a derivation from Scots chad (“river gravel”) stated in some dictionaries is now thought to be nothing more than guesswork.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 10 recorded puzzles: