chink

¹ American  

[chingk] / tʃɪŋk /

noun

1. a crack, cleft, or fissure.

   a chink in a wall.

   Synonyms:

   cut, rent, breach

2. a narrow opening.

   a chink between two buildings.

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verb (used with object)

1. to fill up chinks in.

chink ² American  

[chingk] / tʃɪŋk /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to make, or cause to make, a short, sharp, ringing sound, as of coins or glasses striking together.

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noun

1. a chinking sound.

   the chink of ice in a glass.

2. Slang. coin or ready cash.

Chink ³ American  

[chingk] / tʃɪŋk /

noun

(sometimes lowercase)

1. a contemptuous term used to refer to a Chinese person.

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chink ¹ British  

/ tʃɪŋk /

noun

1. a small narrow opening, such as a fissure or crack

2. a small but fatal weakness

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verb

1. (tr) to fill up or make cracks in

chink ² British  

/ tʃɪŋk /

verb

1. to make or cause to make a light ringing sound, as by the striking of glasses or coins

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noun

1. such a sound

Chink ³ British  

/ ˈtʃɪŋkɪ, tʃɪŋk /

noun

1. an old-fashioned and highly derogatory term for Chinese

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Other Word Forms

• chinky adjective

Etymology

Origin of chink¹

1350–1400; Middle English; perhaps chine ¹ + -k suffix ( -ock )

Origin of chink²

First recorded in 1565–75; imitative

Origin of Chink³

1900–05; earlier Chinkie apparently alteration of China, Chinese by association with chink ¹ (from the stereotypical Western image of Chinese as narrow-eyed); -ie

Example Sentences

Even still, you felt that at some point they'd make a breakthrough, at some point they'd find a chink and somebody would do something that resembled a clinical piece of play.

From BBC

“I don’t know how far down. But we’ve seen it from the shore. There are chinks and cracks and messy nests.”

From Literature

"They've let three lads out on similar appeals at similar ages, and we think that these five men might be able to fit into those chinks, and they might broaden them," she said.

From BBC

It was a night in which teams in the powerful Trinity League showed a chink in their armor.

From Los Angeles Times

McLaren's one chink of light in the race was the pit stops.

From BBC

Related Words

• crevice
• fissure