chink

Meanings

Plural: chinks

Noun

(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Chinese descent
a narrow opening as e.g. between planks in a wall
a short light metallic sound
A narrow opening such as a fissure or crack.
A narrow opening such as a fissure or crack.
A narrow beam or patch of light admitted by such an opening.
A chip or dent in something metallic.
A vulnerability or flaw in a protection system or in any otherwise formidable system.
A slight sound as of metal objects touching each other; a clink.
Ready money, especially in the form of coins.
Alternative form of kink (“gasp for breath”).
Alternative letter-case form of Chink.

Verb

make or emit a high sound
fill the chinks of, as with caulking
make cracks or chinks in
To fill an opening such as the space between logs in a log house with chinking; to caulk.
To crack; to open.
To cause to open in cracks or fissures.
To make a slight sound like that of metal objects touching.
To cause to make a sharp metallic sound, as coins, small pieces of metal, etc., by bringing them into collision with each other.
Alternative form of kink (“gasp for breath”).

Origin / Etymology

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).

Synonyms

check, Chinaman, click, clink, tink, tinkle

Scrabble Score: 14

chink is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
chink is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
chink is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

chink is a valid Words With Friends word