chincherinchee

[ chin-chuh-rin-chee, -rin-chee, ching-kuh- ]
/ ˌtʃɪn tʃə rɪnˈtʃi, -ˈrɪn tʃi, ˌtʃɪŋ kə- /

noun

a bulbous plant, Ornithogalum thyrsoides, of the lily family, native to southern Africa, having dense clusters of cream-colored or white flowers.

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Origin of chincherinchee

1925–30; < Afrikaans tjienkerientjee, perhaps tjienker- (< ?) + uintjie name for various edible bulbs (compare uietjie, diminutive of ui onion); often alleged to be imitative representation of the sound produced when the stalks are rubbed together

Words nearby chincherinchee

chinbeak, chinbone, chincapin, chinch, chinch bug, chincherinchee, chinchilla, chinchow, chinchy, chincoteague, chincoteague pony
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for chincherinchee

chincherinchee
/ (ˌtʃɪntʃərɪnˈtʃiː, -ˈrɪntʃɪ) /

noun

a bulbous South African liliaceous plant, Ornithogalum thyrsoides, having long spikes of white or yellow long-lasting flowers

Word Origin for chincherinchee

of unknown origin
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