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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

chink ¹ British  

/ tʃɪŋk /

noun

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

2. a small but fatal weakness

---

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

---

noun

1. such a sound

Chink ³ British  

/ ˈtʃɪŋkɪ, tʃɪŋk /

noun

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

---

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

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

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2025

The only obvious chink in Pooran's armour is against left-arm wrist-spin, against which he averages 31.5 and strikes at 108.6.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2025

This lack of response seems to be a chink in the body's armor that Mtb exploits to such devastating effect.

From Science Daily • Jan. 18, 2024

South Africa, in turn, would like to exploit this chink in India’s armour.

From Washington Times • Nov. 4, 2023

Paul had taken me crabbing, and when he’d brought up a net full of the things, he’d shown me how crabs have a chink in their armor, right in the middle of their ugly bellies.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• crevice
• fissure