chine

chine · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*skinō
2. Frankish · derived from*skinu
3. Old French · derived fromeschine
4. Middle English · inherited fromchyne
5. English todaychine

From Middle English chyne, from Old French eschine, from Frankish *skinu, from Proto-Germanic *skinō. Doublet of shin.

chine · noun²

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*kinō
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*kinu
3. Old English · inherited fromċine
4. Middle English · inherited fromchyne
5. English todaychine

From Middle English chyne, chynne (“crack, fissure, chasm”), from Old English ċine, ċinu, from Proto-West Germanic *kinu, from Proto-Germanic *kinō.

chine · verb³

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*kīnaną“to split; crack; germinate; sprout”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*kīnan
3. Old English · inherited fromċīnan“to break into pieces, burst, crack”
4. Middle English · inherited fromchynen“to crack, fissure, split”
5. English todaychine

From Middle English chynen (“to crack, fissure, split”), from Old English ċīnan (“to break into pieces, burst, crack”), from Proto-West Germanic *kīnan, from Proto-Germanic *kīnaną (“to split; crack; germinate; sprout”).

chine · noun⁴

1. Old English · inherited from*ċimb
2. Middle English · inherited fromchyne
3. English todaychine

From Middle English chyne, alteration of Middle English chyme, chymbe, from Old English *ċimb. More at chimb.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• 9th–16th c. To crack, split, fissure, break.