# chink
## English
### Pronunciation

* (UK, US) IPA: /t͡ʃɪŋk/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɪŋk

### Etymology 1

Of uncertain origin, but apparently an extension (with diminutive -k) of Middle English chine, from Old English ċine (“a crack, chine, chink”), equivalent to chine +‎ -k.
Alternatively, the -k may represent an earlier unrecorded diminutive, perhaps from Middle English *chinek, making it equivalent to chine +‎ -ock (diminutive ending).

#### Noun

chink (plural chinks)
* A narrow opening such as a fissure or crack.
** 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 2, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 10:What a pity they didn’t stop up the chinks and the crannies though, and thrust in a little lint here and there.
** [1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC:Yet I did not give way, but settled to wait for the dawn, which must, I knew, be now at hand; for then I thought enough light would come through the chinks of the tomb above to show me how to set to work.
** 1834–1838 (date written), Thomas Babington Macaulay, “(please specify the page)”, in Lays of Ancient Rome, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, […], published 1842, →OCLC:Through one cloudless chink, in a black, stormy sky, / Shines out the dewy morning star.
** A narrow beam or patch of light admitted by such an opening.
    I noticed a chink of light under the door.
*** 2023 March 22, Mel Holley, “Network News: RMT to ballot Network Rail members on improved offer”, in RAIL, number 979, page 12:A chink of light offering a possible settlement to one part of the rail dispute comes as the RMT is to ballot its members at Network Rail on whether to accept an improved offer.
* A chip or dent in something metallic.
    The warrior saw a chink in her enemy's armor, and aimed her spear accordingly.
* (figuratively) A vulnerability or flaw in a protection system or in any otherwise formidable system.
    The chink in the theory is that the invaders have superior muskets.
** 2011 January 30, Kevin Darling, “Arsenal 2 - 1 Huddersfield”, in BBC‎:The first chink in Arsenal's relaxed afternoon occurred when key midfielder Samir Nasri pulled up with a hamstring injury and was replaced.

##### Derived terms

* chigger
* chink in the armor
* chink in the armour
* chinkle
* chinky

##### Translations
#### Verb

chink (third-person singular simple present chinks, present participle chinking, simple past and past participle chinked)
* (transitive) To fill an opening such as the space between logs in a log house with chinking; to caulk.
    to chink a wall
* (intransitive) To crack; to open.
* (transitive) To cause to open in cracks or fissures.

##### Derived terms

* chink up

##### Translations
### Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic.

#### Noun

chink (countable and uncountable, plural chinks)
* (countable) A slight sound as of metal objects touching each other; a clink.
** 2020, Abi Daré, The Girl With The Louding Voice, Sceptre, page 138:She swallow, set the cup down like she want to break it, and the ice-blocks jump, make a chink sound.
* (uncountable, colloquial, dated, now rare) Ready money, especially in the form of coins.
** 1727, William Somerville, Occasional Poems, "The Fortune-Hunter":to leave his chink to better hands
** 1834, David Crockett, A Narrative of the Life of, Nebraska, published 1987, pages 47–8:I thought that if all the hills about there were pure chink, and all belonged to me, I would give them if I could just talk to her when I wanted to […]
** 1855, Henry Augustus Wise, Tales for the Marines, page 121:At the same time, mind, I must have a bit of a frolic occasionally, for that's all the pleasure I has, when I gets a little chink in my becket; and ye know, too, that I don t care much for that stuff, for a dollar goes with me as fur as a gold ounce does with you, when ye put on your grand airs, and shower it about like a nabob.
** 1894, Francis James Child (from Thomas Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry), “267, The Drunkard's Legacy (The Heir of Linne)”, in The English and Scottish popular Ballads, volume V:Now by [the] third part you will hear This young man, as it does appear, With care he then secur'd his chink, And to this vintner went to drink.
** 1904, Edith Nesbit, The New Treasure Seekers, Chapter 2:"I believe I could make a pudding that wasn't plain, if I tried," Alice said. "Why shouldn't we?" "No chink," said Oswald, with brief sadness. "How much would it cost?" Noël asked, and added that Dora had twopence and H.O. had a French halfpenny.

##### Derived terms

* chink-a-chink

##### Translations
#### Verb

chink (third-person singular simple present chinks, present participle chinking, simple past and past participle chinked)
* (intransitive) To make a slight sound like that of metal objects touching.
    The coins were chinking in his pocket.
* (transitive) To cause to make a sharp metallic sound, as coins, small pieces of metal, etc., by bringing them into collision with each other.
** 1728, [Alexander Pope], “Book the First”, in The Dunciad. An Heroic Poem. […], Dublin, London: […] A. Dodd, →OCLC, page 2:He chinks his purse

##### Translations
### Etymology 3
#### Noun

chink (plural chinks)
* Alternative form of kink (“gasp for breath”)

#### Verb

chink (third-person singular simple present chinks, present participle chinking, simple past and past participle chinked)
* Alternative form of kink (“gasp for breath”)

### Etymology 4
#### Noun

chink (plural chinks)
* Alternative letter-case form of Chink

### Anagrams

* Hinck, Kinch