chin

¹ American  

[chin] / tʃɪn /

noun

1. the lower extremity of the face, below the mouth.

2. the prominence of the lower jaw.

3. Informal. chin-up.

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verb (used with object)

chinned, chinning

1. Gymnastics.

   1. to bring one's chin up to (a horizontal bar, from which one is hanging by the hands), by bending the elbows.

   2. to raise (oneself ) to this position.

2. to raise or hold to the chin, as a violin.

3. Archaic. to talk to; chatter with.

verb (used without object)

chinned, chinning

1. Gymnastics. to chin oneself.

2. Slang. to talk; chatter.

   We sat up all night chinning about our college days.

idioms

1. keep one's chin up, to maintain a cheerful disposition in spite of difficulties, disappointments, etc. Also chin up.

2. take it on the chin,

   1. to suffer defeat; fail completely.

   2. to endure suffering or punishment.

ch'in ² American  

[chin, cheen] / tʃɪn, tʃin /

noun

1. 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.

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Chin ³ American  

[jin] / dʒɪn /

(Pinyin) Jin

noun

1. Also Tsin 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).

2. a dynasty that ruled in China 1115–1234.

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Ch'in ⁴ American  

[chin, cheen] / tʃɪn, tʃin /

(Pinyin) Qin

noun

1. 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.

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Chin. ⁵ American  

Or Chin.

abbreviation

1. China.

2. Chinese.

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chin ¹ British  

/ tʃɪn /

noun

1. the protruding part of the lower jaw

2. the front part of the face below the lips

3. Sometimes shortened to: chin up!.  to keep cheerful under difficult circumstances

4. informal to face squarely up to a defeat, adversity, etc

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verb

1. gymnastics to raise one's chin to (a horizontal bar, etc) when hanging by the arms

2. informal (tr) to punch or hit (someone) on the chin

Chin. ² British  

abbreviation

1. China

2. Chinese

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chin More Idioms  

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

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Other Word Forms

• chinless adjective
• underchin noun

Etymology

Origin of chin¹

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 ( genial ², -gnathous ), Sanskrit hanus jaw

Origin of ch'in²

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

Example Sentences

“Those types of companies have really taken it on the chin recently. They respond more to things like higher interest rates and decreased liquidity conditions.”

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

He is described as a man who had “poked his chin up sideways, carrying his nose with that aforesaid appearance of ‘sniff,’ as though despising an egg which he knew he could not digest.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

This time around, Kagan and Sotomayor may have sought to mitigate the damage rather than take a loss on the chin.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

His chin has yet to be properly tested.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Trey ran a finger down my cheek before tilting my chin up and pressing his lips softly to mine.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith