Chink Chink (chĭnk)
noun [ Middle English
chine , Anglo-Saxon
cīne fissure, chink, from
cīnan to gape; akin to Goth.
Keinan to sprout, German
keimen . Confer
Chit .]
A small cleft, rent, or fissure, of greater length than breadth; a gap or crack; as, the chinks of a wall. Through one cloudless chink , in a black, stormy sky.
Shines out the dewy morning star.
Macaulay.
Chink Chink intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Chinked ;
present participle & verbal noun Chinking .]
To crack; to open.
Chink Chink transitive verb 1. To cause to open in cracks or fissures. 2. To fill up the chinks of; as, to chink a wall.
Chink Chink noun [ Of imitative origin. Confer
Jingle .]
1. A short, sharp sound, as of metal struck with a slight degree of violence. "
Chink of bell."
Cowper. 2. Money; cash. [ Cant] "To leave his
chink to better hands."
Somerville.
Chink Chink transitive verb To cause to make a sharp metallic sound, as coins, small pieces of metal, etc., by bringing them into collision with each other. Pope.
Chink Chink intransitive verb To make a slight, sharp, metallic sound, as by the collision of little pieces of money, or other small sonorous bodies. Arbuthnot.
Chinky Chink"y adjective Full of chinks or fissures; gaping; opening in narrow clefts. Dryden.
Chinned Chinned (chĭnd)
adjective Having a chin; -- used chiefly in compounds; as, short- chinned .
Chinoidine Chi·noid"ine noun [ New Latin
chin ium quinine (cf. G. & French
china Peruvian bark) +
--oil +
-ine .]
(Chemistry) See Quinodine .
Chinoiserie Chi`noi`se·rie" (shē`nwȧ`z'*rē")
noun [ French]
Chinese conduct, art, decoration, or the like; also, a specimen of Chinese manners, art, decoration, etc.
Chinoline Chin"o·line noun [ New Latin
chin ium quinine (see
Chinoldine ) + Latin
ol eum oil +
-ine .]
(Chemistry) See Quinoline .
Chinone Chi"none noun [ New Latin
chin ium quinine (see
Chinoidine .) +
-one .]
(Chemistry) See Quinone .
Chinook Chi·nook" noun 1. (Ethnol.) One of a tribe of North American Indians now living in the state of Washington, noted for the custom of flattening their skulls. Chinooks also called Flathead Indians . 2. A warm westerly wind from the country of the Chinooks, sometimes experienced on the slope of the Rocky Mountains, in Montana and the adjacent territory. 3. A jargon of words from various languages (the largest proportion of which is from that of the Chinooks) generally understood by all the Indian tribes of the northwestern territories of the United States.
Chinook State Chi·nook" State Washington -- a nickname. See Chinook , noun
Chinquapin Chin"qua·pin noun (Botany) A branching, nut-bearing tree or shrub ( Castanea pumila ) of North America, from six to twenty feet high, allied to the chestnut. Also, its small, sweet, edible nat. [ Written also
chincapin and
chinkapin .]
Chinquapin oak ,
a small shrubby oak ( Quercus prinoides ) of the Atlantic States, with edible acorns. --
Western Chinquapin ,
an evergreen shrub or tree ( Castanopes chrysophylla ) of the Pacific coast. In California it is a shrub; in Oregon a tree 30 to 125 feet high.
Chinse Chinse transitive verb & i. [
imperfect & past participle Chinsed ;
present participle & verbal noun Chinsing .]
(Nautical) To thrust oakum into (seams or chinks) with a chisel , the point of a knife, or a chinsing iron; to calk slightly. Chinsing iron ,
a light calking iron.
Chintz Chintz noun ;
plural Chintzes . [ Hindi
chīnt spotted cotton clooth,
chīntā spot .]
Cotton cloth, printed with flowers and other devices, in a number of different colors, and often glazed. Swift.
Chioppine Chiop·pine" noun Same as Chopine , noun
Chip Chip (chĭp)
transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Chipped (chĭpt);
present participle & verbal noun Chipping .] [ Confer German
kippen to cut off the edge, to clip, pare. Confer
Chop to cut.]
1. To cut small pieces from; to diminish or reduce to shape, by cutting away a little at a time; to hew. Shak. 2. To break or crack, or crack off a portion of, as of an eggshell in hatching, or a piece of crockery. 3. To bet, as with chips in the game of poker. To chip in ,
to contribute, as to a fund; to share in the risks or expenses of. [ Slang. U. S.]
Chip Chip intransitive verb To break or fly off in small pieces.
Chip Chip noun 1. A piece of wood, stone, or other substance, separated by an ax, chisel, or cutting instrument. 2. A fragment or piece broken off; a small piece. 3. Wood or Cuban palm leaf split into slips, or straw plaited in a special manner, for making hats or bonnets. 4. Anything dried up, withered, or without flavor; -- used contemptuously. 5. One of the counters used in poker and other games. 6. (Nautical) The triangular piece of wood attached to the log line. Buffalo chips .
See under Buffalo . --
Chip ax ,
a small ax for chipping timber into shape. --
Chip bonnet ,
Chip hat ,
a bonnet or a hat made of Chip. See Chip , noun , 3. --
A chip off the old block ,
a child who resembles either of his parents. [ Colloq.]
Milton. --
Potato chips ,
Saratoga chips ,
thin slices of raw potato fried crisp.
Chipmunk Chip"munk` noun [ Indian name.]
(Zoology) A squirrel-like animal of the genus Tamias , sometimes called the striped squirrel , chipping squirrel , ground squirrel , hackee . The common species of the United States is the Tamias striatus . [ Written also
chipmonk ,
chipmuck , and
chipmuk .]
Chippendale Chip"pen·dale adjective Designating furniture designed, or like that designed, by Thomas Chippendale, an English cabinetmaker of the 18th century. Chippendale furniture was generally of simple but graceful outline with delicately carved rococo ornamentation, sculptured either in the solid wood or, in the cheaper specimens, separately and glued on. In the more elaborate pieces three types are recognized: French Chippendale , having much detail, like Louis Quatorze and Louis Quinze; Chinese Chippendale , marked by latticework and pagodalike pediments; and Gothic Chippendale , attempting to adapt medieval details. The forms, as of the cabriole and chairbacks, often resemble Queen Anne. In chairs, the seat is widened at the front, and the back toward the top widened and bent backward, except in Chinese Chippendale, in which the backs are usually rectangular. --
Chip"pen*dal*ism noun It must be clearly and unmistakably understood, then, that, whenever painted (that is to say, decorated with painted enrichment) or inlaid furniture is described as Chippendale , no matter where or by whom, it is a million chances to one that the description is incorrect.
R. D. Benn.
Chipper Chip"per intransitive verb [ Confer
Cheep ,
Chirp .]
To chirp or chirrup. [ Prov. Eng.]
Forby.
Chipper Chip"per adjective Lively; cheerful; talkative. [ U. S.]
Chippeways Chip"pe·ways noun plural ;
sing. Chippeway .
(Ethnol.) A tribe of Indians formerly inhabiting the northern and western shores of Lake Superior; -- called also Objibways .
Chipping Chip"ping noun 1. A chip; a piece separated by a cutting or graving instrument; a fragment. 2. The act or process of cutting or breaking off small pieces, as in dressing iron with a chisel, or reducing a timber or block of stone to shape. 3. The breaking off in small pieces of the edges of potter's ware, porcelain, etc.
Chipping bird Chip"ping bird` (Zoology) The chippy.
Chipping squirrel Chip"ping squir"rel See Chipmunk .
Chippy Chip"py adjective Abounding in, or resembling, chips; dry and tasteless.
Chippy Chip"py noun (Zoology) A small American sparrow ( Spizella socialis ), very common near dwelling; -- also called chipping bird and chipping sparrow , from its simple note.
Chips Chips noun (Nautical) A ship's carpenter. [ Cant.]
Chiragra Chi·ra"gra noun [ Latin , from Greek ...; ... hand + ... seizure.]
(Medicine) Gout in the hand.
Chiragrical Chi·rag"ric·al adjective Having the gout in the hand, or subject to that disease. Sir. T. Browne.
Chiretta Chi·ret"ta noun [ Hind.
chirāītā .]
A plant ( Agathotes Chirayta ) found in Northern India, having medicinal properties to the gentian, and esteemed as a tonic and febrifuge.
Chirk Chirk intransitive verb [ Confer
Chirp , also
Creak .]
1. To shriek; to gnash; to utter harsh or shrill cries. [ Obsolete]
All full of chirkyng was that sorry place.
Cheucer.
2. To chirp like a bird. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Chirk Chirk transitive verb To cheer; to enliven; as, to chirk one up. [ Colloq. New Eng. ]
Chirk Chirk adjective [ From
Chirk ,
intransitive verb ]
Lively; cheerful; in good spirits. [ Colloq. New Eng.]
Chirm Chirm intransitive verb [ Confer Anglo-Saxon
cyrman ,
cirman , to cry out. √24 Confer
Chirp .]
To chirp or to make a mournful cry, as a bird. [ Obsolete]
Huloet.
Chirm Chirm noun [ Anglo-Saxon
cirm ,
cyrm .]
Noise; din; esp.; confused noise, clamor, or hum of many voices, notes of birds, or the like.
Chirognomy Chi·rog"no·my noun [ Greek
chei`r hand + ... understanding.]
The art of judging character by the shape and appearance of the hand.
Chirograph Chi"ro·graph noun [ Greek ... written with the hand;
chei`r hand +
gra`fein to write.]
(Old. Law) (a) A writing which, requiring a counterpart, was engrossed twice on the same piece of parchment, with a space between, in which was written the word chirographum , through which the parchment was cut, and one part given to each party. It answered to what is now called a charter party . (b) The last part of a fine of land, commonly called the foot of the fine. Bouvier.
Chirographer Chi·rog"ra·pher noun 1. One who practice the art or business of writing or engrossing. 2. See chirographist , 2. Chirographer of fines (Old Eng. Law) ,
an officer in the court of common pleas, who engrossed fines.
Chirographic, Chirographical Chi`ro·graph"ic, Chi`ro·graph"ic·al adjective Of or pertaining to chirography.
Chirographist Chi·rog"ra·phist noun 1. A chirographer; a writer or engrosser. 2. One who tells fortunes by examining the hand.
Chirography Chi·rog"ra·phy noun 1. The art of writing or engrossing; handwriting; as, skilled in chirography . 2. The art of telling fortunes by examining the hand.
Chirogymnast Chi`ro·gym"nast noun [ Greek
chei`r hand + ... trainer of athletes, gymnast.]
A mechanical contrivance for exercising the fingers of a pianist.
Chirological Chi`ro·log"ic·al adjective Relating to chirology.
Chirologist Chi·rol"o·gist noun One who communicates thoughts by signs made with the hands and fingers.
Chirology Chi·rol"o·gy noun [ Greek
chei`r hand +
-logy .]
The art or practice of using the manual alphabet or of communicating thoughts by sings made by the hands and fingers; a substitute for spoken or written language in intercourse with the deaf and dumb. See Dactylalogy .
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