chin

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The bottom of a face, (specifically) the typically jutting jawline below the mouth.

   What does it mean to have a pointy chin instead of a flat chin?

2. 2
   noun

   The lower part of the front of an aircraft, below the nose.

   To paint chins of aircraft

3. 3
   noun

   The bottom part of a mobile phone, below the screen.

   The phone's chin looks different from the rest of it.

4. 4
   verb

   To talk.

   “I reckon you can explain, Mrs. Peabody.” […] “An’ I reckon that newcomer you’ve been chinning with could explain if he had a mind to.”

5. 5
   verb

   To talk to or with (someone).

   “Been up chinning your sporting editor, Ragsy Hurd. […]”

6. 6
   verb

   To perform a chin-up (exercise in which one lifts one's own weight while hanging from a bar).

   It is worth noting that on the eighth day he was strong enough to “chin” himself six times in succession, though previous to the fasting treatment he had never in his life been able to do this more than once or twice.

7. 7
   verb

   To punch or hit (someone), especially on the chin (part of the body).

   He told me once that he used to be scared to death every time he started in a hard game for fear he’d get badly injured. Said it wasn’t until someone had jabbed him in the nose or ‘chinned’ him that he forgot to be scared.

8. 8
   verb

   To put or hold (a musical instrument) up to one's chin.

   Conspicuous in the front rank of “the music” was Joe Lippett, chinning his fife […]

Etymology

From Middle English chyn, from Old English ċinn (“chin”), from Proto-West Germanic *kinnu, from Proto-Germanic *kinnuz (“chin”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénus (“chin, jaw”). Compare West Frisian/Dutch kin, Low German/German Kinn, Danish kind, Icelandic kinn, Welsh gen, Latin gena, Tocharian A śanweṃ, Ancient Greek γένυς (génus, “jaw”), Armenian ծնոտ (cnot), Persian چانه (čâne), Sanskrit हनु (hánu). Doublet of gena.