Also 4 chimbe; 4–7 chyme, (6 chim). [ME. chimbe, chyme, belongs to chimbe, chyme, CHIME sb.1
A corresponding verb occurs in the mod. Scandinavian langs. and dialects. In Swedish dial., Ihre 1766 has kimba ‘to strike the bell with a quick succession of strokes’ as used in Upland; it is now obs. there, but still used in part of Finland (Uleåborg). Kimma is in Götland ‘to strike a church bell with the clapper instead of ringing,’ and in the island of Gotland ‘to strike a bell with a hammer or smooth stone.’ Norwegian (Aasen) has kime in same sense, and Danish kime to ring an alarum bell, toll a bell, ring chimes. Although thus widely diffused, the word is not in ON., nor even in the lang. of the middle period bef. the Reformation in 1527; Swedish scholars think it possibly from English.]
1. intr. To resound when struck, give forth a musical sound, ring out; to tinkle. arch.
c. 1340. Hampole, Psalter (Ps.) xi. 7. Imange all metalles nan is þat swetterly chymes þan syluere.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 13. The belle Whiche hath no clapper for to chime.
1600. Dr. Dodypoll, III. iii. in Bullen, Old Pl., III. 132. Chime, hollow caves, and chime you whistling reedes.
1607. Walkington, Opt. Glass, 46. Their eares doe chime and tingle.
1784. Cowper, Task, I. 193. Rills … chiming as they fall Upon loose pebbles.
fig. 1833. Tennyson, Poems, 121. To whom … The life before, the life behind, In the ear, from far and near, Chimeth musically clear.
b. trans. (with the sound or music as object). arch.
1613. Heywood, Silver Age, III. i. Wks. 1874, III. 127. Thou chim’st me spheare like musicke.
1793. Southey, Chapel Bell, II. 143. I love the bell that calls the poor to pray, Chiming from village church its cheerful sound.
1806. A. Duncan, Nelson’s Fun., 20. The … bell … chiming a funeral peal.
2. intr. To produce a musical sound from a bell (or the like) by striking it (or by other means than ordinary ‘ringing’: see b).
c. 1449. Promp. Parv., 75. Chymyn or chenken wythe bellys [1499 clynke bell], tintillo.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 124. By Chiming with a Hammer upon the outside of a Bell.
1872. Ellacombe, Bells of Ch., ii. 25. Chiming in the regular way—i.e., swinging the bells just enough to make the clappers strike.
b. trans. To strike (a bell, etc.) so that a musical sound is given forth. See quot. 1880.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 252. With lifted Arms they order ev’ry Blow, And chime their sounding Hammers in a Row.
1760. Goldsm., Cit. W., cxxiii. The man in black sat next his mistress, helped her plate, chimed her glass.
1879. Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 346/1. A bell is said to be chimed when she is swung through the smallest part of a circle possible so as to make the clapper strike; or when a separate hammer is fixed apart from her and she is struck by it. There are many different machines in use by which one man can chime any number of bells.
3. To ring chimes with a set of musically attuned bells. a. intr.
1530. Palsgr., 484/1. It is churche holyday to morowe … in the nexte parysshe, for they haue chymed there all this afternoone.
b. trans. (with the bells as object).
1611. Cotgr., Carillonner, to chyme, or knowle, bels.
1639. Horn & Robotham, Gate Lang. Unl., lix. (1643), § 629. The Sexton by chiming the bels in due measure, in the steeple or belfree, calleth the congregation together to divine service.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), II. 454. Eight bells are chimed for an hour together.
4. intr. Said of a set of bells: To ring ? harmoniously, to ring chimes. See CHIME sb.1
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Church-Porch, lxv. When the bells do chime ’Tis angels musick.
1832. Tennyson, Palace of Art, xl. Those great bells Began to chime.
1833. J. Rennie, Alph. Angling, 24. A number of little bells, are attached in such a manner as to chime in harmony when the nets are moved.
1870. E. Peacock, Ralf Skirl., III. 84. The bells chimed for early morning service.
b. trans. To indicate (the hour) by chiming.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 112. I … might set the clocke … To strike and chime .xij.
c. intr. With the hour as subject.
1867. ‘Ouida,’ C. Castlemaine (1879), 18. The noon hours chimed from the bell-tower.
d. fig. (trans. and intr.)
1580–3. Greene, Mamillia, Wks. 1881–6, II. 85. Perceiuing Gostino to craue rest and that his drowsie eyes chymed for sleepe.
1596. Colse, Penelope (1880), 171. How sore for sleepe my eielids chim?
1624. Massinger, Bondman, II. iii. If I did not … Look on my watch when my guts chimed twelve, and wear A state beard … degrade me!
1693. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 693. My guts chime twelve, jam annum esurio.
1768. Ray’s Prov., s.v. Belly, Your Belly chimes, it’s time to go to dinner.
1820. Scott, Ivanhoe, vi. My ears are chiming vespers with the strength of your good wine.
5. trans. To bring or put (into or out of a state or place) by chiming, summon by chiming.
1588. Greene, Poems (1861), 292. The clock … chimes her fast asleep. Ibid. (1589), Arcadia (1616), 14. Seeing they were wearie, and that sleepe chimed on to rest.
1647. Cleveland, Char. Lond. Diurn., 4. One chimes all in, and then the other strikes up, as the Saints-Bell.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., II. 460. Song, fashionably fruitless!… Chiming her saints to Cytherea’s fane.
1820. Southey, Life Wesley, II. 403. His enemies had the indecency to chimne him out of the church.
1859. Kingsley, Plays & Purit., Misc. II. 140. As God’s bells chiming him home in triumph.
6. Said of the human voice: To recite or repeat in cadence or mechanically; to prate, din (into the ears). a. intr.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeves Prol., 42. The sely tonge may wel rynge and chimbe Of wrecchednes, that passed is ful yoore.
b. trans.
1697. C. Leslie, Snake in Grass (ed. 2), 186. Words which the Quakers have Chim’d over and over against us.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), I. 495. Both [the orthodox and freethinkers] expect that a constant repetition of positive assertions chimed into their ears by others, should pass for proof and explanation. Ibid., II. 373. Continual harangues chimed always in the same strain.
1809. Byron, Eng. Bards, 918. Let simple Wordsworth chime his childish verse.
1814. J. Gilchrist, Reason Arbiter of Lang., 99. A senseless baby or drivelling idiot chimes over the same word without meaning or reason.
7. intr. Of verses, etc.: To rhyme or jingle.
a. 1667. Cowley, Liberty, Wks. (1710), II. 691. In the same Tune it shall not always Chime.
1704. J. Trapp, Abra-Mulé, Prol. 15. His Numbers rarely chime, Nor bless the Gall’ries with the Sweets of Rhime.
b. trans. (causative.)
1878. Masque Poets, 11. Chime word with word and pipe to catch the hour.
8. fig. intr. To accord harmoniously, harmonize, agree.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., II. xxv. Father, and Son; Husband and Wife, and such other correlative terms … do readily chime, and answer one another in Peoples Memories.
1693. South, Serm., 455. Let it chime right to the humour which is at present a Gog.
1791–1824. D’Israeli, Cur. Lit., Anc. Cookery. As in a concert instruments resound, My ordered dishes in their courses chime.
1832. Austin, Jurispr. (1879), I. vi. 327. The intention and expectation chime or go together.
b. Constr. with.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, lvii. There was a freshness in the sound … which chimed exactly with his mood.
1870. Lowell, Study Wind., 158. A tendency … which chimed with his own private desires.
1870. Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. cxix. 20. How this fourth of the third eight chimes with the fourth of the fourth eight.
9. Chime in. To join in harmoniously or in unison (in music).
1681. [Sir E. Harley], Ess. Peace & Truth Ch., 9. The whole world was made an Harmonious Scheme; every Being from the least and lowest, to the greatest and highest, chiming into the Consort, whereof Man was the chief Musitian.
1821. Byron, Sardan., I. i. 32. The softening voices … Must chime in to the echo of his revel.
1878. H. M. Stanley, Dark Cont., II. xiii. 366. Uledi, with a cry of Bismillah!… struck his axe into the tree, and two others chimed in.
b. To strike into a conversation with a note of agreement.
1838. Macaulay, in Life & Lett. (1876), II. 31. ‘He was extremely civil,’ Wiseman chimed in.
1863. Mary Howitt, trans. F. Bremer’s Greece, I. vii. 241. ‘Of course, nobody can doubt it,’ chimed in gravely a highly cultivated Greek.
c. Chime in with: † (a.) To come into agreement or harmony with; (b.) To be in complete accord with. (= Chime with, 8 b, but expressing subordinate accord.)
1712. Arbuthnot, John Bull (1755), 5. Mrs. Bull had been pretty well tuned up by Frog, who chimed in with her learned harangue.
1713. Lond. & Country Brewer, I. (1742), 79. I must chime in with his Notion.
1820. Scott, Monast., viii. ‘Indeed’ said Elspeth, trying to catch and chime in with the ideas of the Sub-Prior.
1861. Mill, Utilit., 71. It would always chime in with our feelings of fitness, that acts which we deem unjust should be punished.
