chink

1 of 5

noun (1)

1
: a small cleft, slit, or fissure
a chink in the fence
2
: a weak spot that may leave one vulnerable
his lawyers found a chink in the law
3
: a narrow beam of light shining through a chink

chink

2 of 5

verb (1)

chinked; chinking; chinks

transitive verb

: to fill the chinks of (as by caulking)
chink a log cabin

chink

3 of 5

noun (2)

1
archaic : coin, money
2
: a short sharp sound

chink

4 of 5

verb (2)

chinked; chinking; chinks

intransitive verb

: to make a slight sharp metallic sound

transitive verb

: to cause to make a chink
offensive
used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a person of Chinese birth or descent

Examples of chink in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There might be a great many creative epithets used to denigrate Asian people, as I was reminded about recently when watching the 2008 film Gran Torino, in which Clint Eastwood plays a cantankerous old man who owns a thesaurus full of them—but the directness of chink feels among the worst. Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2024 This is a significant chink in Russia’s strategic armor. Mick Ryan, Foreign Affairs, 5 Feb. 2024 Keys for the 49ers Both the Packers and Lions exposed some chinks in the armor of San Francisco’s defense. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2024 The absence of a notification period can throw a chink in the supply chain and impact outcomes. Ebony Flake, Essence, 18 Jan. 2024 Albrecht’s clock ambiguity and Smolin’s critiques of string theory expose chinks in the armor of reductionism. Adam Frank, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2023 Yet even a 12-point win would mark a massive departure from where polling has estimated the race to be, potentially putting a chink in Trump's armor and putting wind in the sails of his rivals. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2024 But more than ever before, there are chinks in the armor of the superhero movie. Jake Coyle, Fortune, 27 Dec. 2023 The slightest crack in the door, the slightest chink in the armor. Danielle Pergament, Allure, 14 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chink.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably alteration of Middle English chine crack, fissure

Noun (2)

imitative

Noun or adjective

perhaps alteration of Chinese

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1609, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1589, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun Or Adjective

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chink was in 1535

Dictionary Entries Near chink

Cite this Entry

“Chink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chink. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

chink

1 of 4 noun
: a narrow slit or crack

chink

2 of 4 verb
: to fill the chinks of
chinked a log hut with mud

chink

3 of 4 noun
: a short sharp sound

chink

4 of 4 verb
: to make or cause to make a short sharp sound
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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