chopsticks, Chopsticks on a plate.maqs (from Chinese kuai-tzu,
“quick ones,” by way of Pidgin chop, “quick”), eating utensils,
consisting of a pair of slender sticks held between the thumb
and fingers of one hand, that predominate in much of East Asia
and are used in conjunction with East Asian-style cuisine
worldwide.   Modern mass-produced chopsticks are commonly made
of unadorned wood, bamboo, or plastic, although exquisite
lacquerwork, inlay, and engraving are still used in the
decoration of finer examples. As a general rule, the chopsticks
of China are longer and more blunt than those of Japan, which
are usually tapered.