chin
see also: Chin
Pronunciation Etymology 1

From Middle English chyn, from Old English ċinn, from Proto-Germanic *kinnuz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénus.

Noun

chin (plural chins)

  1. The bottom of a face, (specifically) the typically jutting jawline below the mouth.
  2. (slang, US) Talk.
  3. (slang, British) A lie, a falsehood.
  4. (slang, British) A person of the upper class.
  5. (boxing, uncountable) The ability to withstand being punched in the chin without being knocked out.
  6. (aviation) The lower part of the front of an aircraft, below the nose.
  7. The bottom part of a mobile phone, below the screen.
Synonyms
  • (central area of the jaw, below the mouth) mentum (anatomy)
Antonyms Translations Verb

chin (chins, present participle chinning; simple past and past participle chinned)

  1. (slang, dated, intransitive) To talk.
    • 1912, Jack London, chapter 5, in Smoke Bellew, New York: Grosset & Dunlap, page 141:
      “I reckon you can explain, Mrs. Peabody.” […] “An’ I reckon that newcomer you’ve been chinning with could explain if he had a mind to.”
  2. (slang, dated, transitive) To talk to or with (someone).
  3. (reflexive, intransitive) To perform a chin-up exercise in which one lifts one's own weight while hanging from a bar.
    • 1922, E. E. Cummings, chapter 4, in The Enormous Room, New York: Modern Library, published 1949, page 80:
      A description of the cour would be incomplete without an enumeration of the manifold duties of the planton in charge, which were as follows: to prevent the men from using the horizontal bar, except for chinning, since if you swung yourself upon it you could look over the wall into the women’s cour […]
    • 1986, Martin Cohen, The Marine Corps 3X Fitness Program, Boston: Little, Brown, Part 3, p. 75:
      You can grunt and curse to your heart’s content but you cannot swing your body when chinning.
  4. (chiefly, UK, transitive) To punch or hit (someone)'s chin part of the body.
  5. (transitive) To put or hold (a musical instrument) up to one's chin.
    • 1951, Gene Fowler, chapter 16, in Schnozzola: The Story of Jimmy Durante, New York: Viking, page 173:
      Jimmy sat down at the piano, and the scientist tuned, then chinned the violin.
  6. (transitive) To turn on or operate (a device) using one's chin; to select (a particular setting) using one's chin.
    • 1985, Joe Haldeman, “You Can Never Go Back”, in Dealing in Futures, New York: Viking, page 154:
      I landed kind of sloppily on hands and knees and chinned the squad frequency. “First squad sound off!”
  7. (transitive) To put one's chin on (something).
  8. (transitive) To indicate or point toward (someone or something) with one's chin.
    • 2004, Han Ong, The Disinherited, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Part 4, Chapter 4, p. 239:
      But you don’t love him, said Madame Sonia with understanding. Do you love this one? Madame Sonia chinned the American.
Synonyms
  • (talk (slang)) gab
Etymology 2

Shortening of chinchilla.

Noun

chin (plural chins)

  1. (informal) A chinchilla.

Chin
Proper noun
  1. A hamlet in Alberta, Canada.
Etymology 2

As a Chinese surname, a variant romanization of various Chinese - characters, typically in local dialects. As a name for China, see China.

Proper noun
  1. (obsolete) Alternative form of China.
  2. Surname.
Etymology 3

The atonal cmn-wadegiles - romanization of the Mandarin - pronunciation of Chinese .

Proper noun
  1. (obsolete) Alternative form of Jin: an ancient Chinese state and various medieval Chinese dynasties.
Etymology 4

From Burmese ချင်း.

Proper noun
  1. A tribe in Myanmar.
  2. A state of Myanmar
  3. Synonym of Zo: a language of Myanmar.



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