qi
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
Etymology
Origin of qi
First recorded in 1845–55; from Chinese qì “breath, air, spirit, gas”
Explanation
The word qi may be little, but boy is it energetic. In fact, qi stands for the energy in everything. (It's also a handy word to know in Scrabble.) In Chinese philosophy, qi, also spelled chi or ch'i, is the life force that every person, plant, animal, and thing — including inanimate objects — has. Chinese medicine and acupuncture both address the concept of qi; if you're feeling a little under the weather, an unbalanced qi may be the culprit. Martial arts also uses the concept: If you've ever practiced tai chi, then you're already familiar with qi, just with a different spelling.
Vocabulary lists containing qi
Scrabble: Two-Letter Words
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Scrabble: Words that Begin with Q
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Scrabble: Words with Q without U
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Like acupuncture, which uses fine needles, Bojin is a method of unblocking stuck qi using a pointed tool made of stone or horn.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2024
Gua sha allows for targeted massage to release tension along muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia of the face and neck so that qi can flow properly through the meridians, thereby restoring balance.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2024
For her Narcissus catchall, she applied the loose gestures of Chinese brush painting to metal sculpture to encapsulate the object’s qi, or vital energy.
From Seattle Times • May 28, 2024
Every so often these shocks to the system are tremendously welcome: a way to clear the mind, heart and qi, even if the dry sauna is filled with groaning men in a midlife trance.
From New York Times • Mar. 16, 2024
Et se p’ti de la busoigne le duc de Normandie qi sicome home dit est venuz a Paris et ad signifie ces novelles a Monsr Rob’t de Cleremont son lieutenant es p’ties de seint Loo.
From A Chronicle of London from 1089 to 1483 Written in the Fifteenth Century, and for the First Time Printed from MSS. in the British Museum by Nicolas, Nicholas Harris, Sir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
