chink

¹

[ chingk ]

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.

verb (used with object)

1. to fill up chinks in.

chink

²

[ chingk ]

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.

noun

1. a chinking sound:

   the chink of ice in a glass.

2. Slang. coin or ready cash.

Chink

³

[ chingk ]

noun

, (sometimes lowercase)

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

Chink

¹

/ ˈtʃɪŋkɪ; tʃɪŋk /

noun

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

chink

²

/ tʃɪŋk /

noun

1. a small narrow opening, such as a fissure or crack
2. chink in one's armour
   a small but fatal weakness

verb

1. tr to fill up or make cracks in

chink

³

/ tʃɪŋk /

verb

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

noun

1. such a sound

Derived Forms

• ˈchinky, adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of chink¹

C20: probably from Chinese, influenced by chink ¹(referring to the characteristic shape of the Chinese eye)

Origin of chink²

C16: perhaps variant of earlier chine, from Old English cine crack; related to Middle Dutch kene, Danish kin

Origin of chink³

C16: of imitative origin

Example Sentences

“We were raised with this mystique about the accident being the chink in this important legacy,” she says.

From The Daily Beast

In letting one of the company out she incautiously stood looking through the open chink into the dark passage.

From Project Gutenberg

I found a chink in the wall and beheld the face of the Englishman peering from the small end window.

From Project Gutenberg

Mysie dashed the warm tears from her eyes, and looked again through the chink in the shutter.

From Project Gutenberg

And whenever at work he happened to spy At chink or crevice a blinking eye, He let the dipper of water fly.

From Project Gutenberg

According to Skeat jingle, “a frequentative verb from the base jink,” is allied to chink, and chink is “an imitative word”.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• crevice
• fissure