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definitions

chine

1
[ chahyn ]
/ tʃaɪn /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR chine ON THESAURUS.COM

noun British Dialect.

a ravine formed in rock by the action of running water.

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RELATED WORDS

rim, hill, vertebrae, bone, ridge, shave, slice, rip, slash, carve, curtail, divide, corrugation, elevation, parapet, ruck, spine, backbone, pole, crease

Nearby words

chincoteague, chincoteague pony, chindia, chindit, chindwin, chine, chinee, chinese, chinese anise, chinese artichoke, chinese block

Origin of chine

1
before 900; Middle English; Old English cinu crevice, fissure; cognate with Middle Dutch kene; compare Old English cīnan to gape, crack open

Definition for chine (2 of 4)

chine

2
[ chahyn ]
/ tʃaɪn /

noun

the backbone or spine, especially of an animal.
the whole or a piece of the backbone of an animal with adjoining parts, cut for cooking.
a ridge or crest, as of land.
Nautical.
  1. an angular intersection of the sides and bottom of a vessel.
  2. a longitudinal member running behind this.

verb (used with object), chined, chin·ing.

(in butchering) to sever the backbone of.

Origin of chine

2
1250–1300; Middle English eschine < Old French eschine < Germanic. See shin1

Definition for chine (3 of 4)

chine

3
[ chahyn ]
/ tʃaɪn /

noun

chime2.

Definition for chine (4 of 4)

chiné

[ shee-ney ]
/ ʃiˈneɪ /

adjective

noting or pertaining to a fabric having a variegated pattern produced by warp threads that have been dyed, printed, or painted before weaving.

Origin of chiné

1850–55; < French, past participle of chiner, verbal derivative of Chine China
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for chine

British Dictionary definitions for chine (1 of 4)

chine

1
/ (tʃaɪn) /

noun

the backbone
the backbone of an animal with adjoining meat, cut for cooking
a ridge or crest of land
(in some boats) a corner-like intersection where the bottom meets the side

verb

(tr) to cut (meat) along or across the backbone

Word Origin for chine

C14: from Old French eschine, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German scina needle, shinbone; see shin 1

British Dictionary definitions for chine (2 of 4)

chine

2
/ (tʃaɪn) /

noun

another word for chime 2

British Dictionary definitions for chine (3 of 4)

chine

3
/ (tʃaɪn) /

noun

Southern English dialect a deep fissure in the wall of a cliff

Word Origin for chine

Old English cīnan to crack

British Dictionary definitions for chine (4 of 4)

chiné

/ (ˈʃiːneɪ) /

adjective

textiles having a mottled pattern

Word Origin for chiné

C19: from French chiner to make in the Chinese fashion, from Chine China
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

Word Origin and History for chine

chine

adj.

"in Chinese fashion," French Chiné, past participle of chiner "to color in Chinese fashion," from Chine "China" (see China).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper