china C2+ Topic:Register & Style US /ˈtʃaɪnə/ UK /ˈtʃaɪnə/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun fine porcelain tableware; British rhyming slang for a close friend She kept the good china for special occasions. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · fine porcelain tableware;... porcelaincrockerytablewareceramicwarematefriend Word family Related forms chinawareporcelain Appears in Idioms (1) See all a bull in a china shop A clumsy person who causes damage or upset in a delicate situation. Proverbs (1) See all Only Nixon could go to China Etymology AI details From the country China (via Persian chīnī), since the fine porcelain was imported from there. The Cockney 'friend' sense is rhyming slang from 'china plate' = 'mate'. Topics Register & Style General Vocabulary External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # china **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈtʃaɪnə/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈtʃaɪnə/ ## Meanings 1. fine porcelain tableware; British rhyming slang for a close friend ## Examples - She kept the good china for special occasions. ## Synonyms - porcelain - crockery - tableware - ceramic - ware - mate - friend ## Related Forms - chinaware - porcelain ## Etymology From the country China (via Persian chīnī), since the fine porcelain was imported from there. The Cockney 'friend' sense is rhyming slang from 'china plate' = 'mate'. ## AI Etymology China is from the country China (via Persian chīnī), since the fine porcelain was imported from there. The Cockney 'friend' sense is rhyming slang from 'china plate' = 'mate'. The current sense covers fine porcelain tableware; British rhyming slang for a close friend. The wider family includes related words such as chinaware and porcelain. ## Topics - Register & Style - General Vocabulary markdown