chink1

[chingk] /tʃɪŋk/
noun
1.
a crack, cleft, or fissure:
a chink in a wall.
2.
a narrow opening:
a chink between two buildings.
verb (used with object)
3.
to fill up chinks in.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English; perhaps chine1 + -k suffix (see -ock)
Synonyms
1. breach, rent, cut.

chink2

[chingk] /tʃɪŋk/
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
1.
to make, or cause to make, a short, sharp, ringing sound, as of coins or glasses striking together.
noun
2.
a chinking sound:
the chink of ice in a glass.
3.
Slang. coin or ready cash.
Origin
1565-75; imitative

Chink

[chingk] /tʃɪŋk/
noun, (sometimes lowercase) Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.
1.
a contemptuous term used to refer to a Chinese person.
Origin
1900-05; earlier Chinkie apparently alteration of China, Chinese by association with chink1 (from the stereotypical Western image of Chinese as narrow-eyed); see -ie
British Dictionary definitions for chink

chink1

/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
3.
(transitive) (mainly US & Canadian) to fill up or make cracks in
Derived Forms
chinky, adjective
Word Origin
C16: perhaps variant of earlier chine, from Old English cine crack; related to Middle Dutch kene, Danish kin

chink2

/tʃɪŋk/
verb
1.
to make or cause to make a light ringing sound, as by the striking of glasses or coins
noun
2.
such a sound
Word Origin
C16: of imitative origin

Chink

/tʃɪŋk/
noun, adjective (pl) Chinks, Chinkies
1.
an old-fashioned and highly derogatory term for Chinese
Word Origin
C20: probably from Chinese, influenced by chink1 (referring to the characteristic shape of the Chinese eye)
Word Origin and History for chink
n.

"a split, crack," 1530s, with parasitic -k + Middle English chine (and replacing this word) "fissure, narrow valley," from Old English cinu, cine "fissure," related to cinan "to crack, split, gape," common Germanic (cf. Old Saxon and Old High German kinan, Gothic uskeinan, German keimen "to germinate;" Middle Dutch kene, Old Saxon kin, German Keim "germ;" ), from PIE root *geie- "to sprout, split open." The connection being in the notion of bursting open.

"a Chinaman," 1901, derogatory, perhaps derived somehow from China, or else from chink (n.1) with reference to eye shape.

"sharp sound" (especially of coin), 1580s, probably imitative. As a verb from 1580s. Related: Chinked; chinking.

Slang definitions & phrases for chink

chink

adjective

: Chink food/ a chink chick

noun

A Chinese person (1900+)