chope
To reserve (a place), such as a seat in a fast food restaurant, sometimes by placing a packet of tissue paper on it.
informal, transitive
Place a packet of tissues on a table and people will assume it is taken by someone in an act referred to as chope. Others may chope their table with a bag, knowing.
Where it comes from
From Malay chup (“a cry in a game requesting a halt or the retraction of a stroke”), possibly from Hindi चुप (cup, “silence!”).
Adapted from the Wiktionary entry chope (CC BY-SA 4.0).