chi

plural chis · alternative khi

1. The twenty-second letter of the Classical and Modern Greek alphabets.

plural chis · alternative ch'i · alternative ki · alternative Hanyu Pinyin qi

1. uncountableusuallyhuman sciencesA life force in traditional Chinese philosophy, culture, medicine, etc, related (but not limited) to breath and circulation.

   He took several deep breaths, finding his chi as Butler had taught him.

   2001, Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl, Viking Press, page 196

   3 more examples

   Early Taoist philosophers and alchemists regarded ch'i as a vital force inhering in the breath and bodily fluids and developed techniques to alter and control the movement of ch'i within the body; their aim was to achieve physical longevity and spiritual power.

   [1987, “ch'i”, in Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition, volume 3, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 186, column 3

   At the greenmarket, it’s still mostly potatoes and apples. There are no tender greens, fava beans, peas, asparagus, artichokes, sorrel, rhubarb or early strawberries. Those harbingers of the season are said to be full of chi, or qi, the Chinese word for life force. We’re craving them as we’re craving lighter, brighter-tasting meals, food that is greener and fresher.

   2013 April 2, David Tanis, “Hurry Up, Spring”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 02 Apr 2013, Dining & Wine

   According to traditional Chinese medicine, blood carries chi, your “life force,” which fuels all the functions of the body. When you lose blood, you lose chi, and this causes your body to go into a state of yin (cold). When yin (cold) and yang (hot) are out of balance, your body will suffer physical disorders.

   2017 January 8, Leslie Hsu Oh, “I tried the Chinese practice of ‘sitting the month’ after childbirth”, in The Washington Post, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 08 Jan 2017, Health & Science

plural chis · alternative chih · alternative ch'ih

1. uncountableusuallyThe Chinese foot, a traditional Chinese unit of length based on the human forearm.

   Synonyms: Chinese foot

2. Mainland ChinauncountableusuallyThe Chinese unit of length standardized in 1984 as ¹/₃ of a meter.
3. TaiwanuncountableusuallyThe Taiwanese unit of length standardized as ¹⁰/₃₃ of a meter, identical to the Japanese shaku.
4. Hong KonguncountableusuallyThe chek or Hong Kong foot, a unit of length standardized as 0.371475 meters.

plural chis

1. abbreviationclippingClipping of chihuahua.

alternative Ch'i

1. datedhistoricalQi, an ancient Chinese duchy, and later kingdom, under the Zhou dynasty
2. A Chinese surname.

plural Chis

1. abbreviationclippinginformalClipping of Chihuahua.

1. slangChicago

   I arrived in Chi quite early in the morning, got a room in the Y, and went to bed with a very few dollars in my pocket.

   1957 September 5, Jack Kerouac, On the Road, New York, N.Y.: Viking Press, →OCLC

1. slangChichester (city in England)

plural Chis

1. A male given name.

1. A surname from Chinese.

1. abbreviationhobbiesAbbreviation of Chicago.

   56 Michael Jordan, CHI vs. MIA, Apr. 29, 1992.

   1996, Marty Strasen, Basketball Almanac, 1996-97, page 415