Dictionary.com

chin

[ chin ]
/ tʃɪn /
Save This Word!

noun
verb (used with object), chinned, chin·ning.
verb (used without object), chinned, chin·ning.
Gymnastics. to chin oneself.
Slang. to talk; chatter: We sat up all night chinning about our college days.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Idioms about chin

    keep one's chin up, to maintain a cheerful disposition in spite of difficulties, disappointments, etc.Also chin up.
    take it on the chin, Informal.
    1. to suffer defeat; fail completely.
    2. to endure suffering or punishment.

Origin of chin

before 1000; Middle English; Old English cin(n); cognate with Dutch kin,German Kinn chin, Old Norse kinn,Gothic kinnus cheek, Latin gena,Greek génus chin, gnáthos jaw (see genial2, -gnathous), Sanskrit hanus jaw

OTHER WORDS FROM chin

chinless, adjectiveun·der·chin, noun

Other definitions for chin (2 of 5)

ch'in
[ chin; Chinese cheen ]
/ tʃɪn; Chinese tʃin /

noun
a Chinese zither consisting of an oblong, slightly curved wooden box over which are stretched strings that are stopped with one hand and plucked with the other.

Origin of ch'in

From Chinese (Wade-Giles) ch'in2, (Pinyin) qín

Other definitions for chin (3 of 5)

Chin
[ jin ]
/ dʒɪn /

noun
Also Tsin [jin] /dʒɪn/ . any of three dynasties that ruled in China, a.d. 265–316 (the Western Chin), a.d. 317–420 (the Eastern Chin), and a.d. 936–46 (the Later Chin).
a dynasty that ruled in China 1115–1234.
Also (Pinyin) Jin .

Other definitions for chin (4 of 5)

Ch'in
[ chin; Chinese cheen ]
/ tʃɪn; Chinese tʃin /

noun
a dynasty in ancient China, 221–206 b.c., marked by the emergence of a unified empire and the construction of much of the Great Wall of China.
Also (Pinyin) Qin [chin] /tʃɪn/ .

Other definitions for chin (5 of 5)

Chin.

or Chin.


abbreviation
China.
Chinese.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use chin in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chin (1 of 2)

chin
/ (tʃɪn) /

noun
the protruding part of the lower jaw
the front part of the face below the lipsRelated adjective: genial
keep one's chin up to keep cheerful under difficult circumstancesSometimes shortened to: chin up!
take it on the chin informal to face squarely up to a defeat, adversity, etc
verb chins, chinning or chinned
gymnastics to raise one's chin to (a horizontal bar, etc) when hanging by the arms
(tr) informal to punch or hit (someone) on the chin

Word Origin for chin

Old English cinn; related to Old Norse kinn, Old High German kinni, Latin gena cheek, Old Irish gin mouth, Sanskrit hanu

British Dictionary definitions for chin (2 of 2)

Chin.

abbreviation for
China
Chinese
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with chin

chin

see keep one's chin up; lead with one's chin; take it on the chin.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
FEEDBACK