Chin sb.

Forms: 1 cin, 3–6 chyn(ne, 3–7 chinne, 3– chin. [OE. cin (prob. fem., but only known in gloss.), corresp. to OFris. kin, OS. kinni neut., ‘chin, jaw,’ (MDu. kinne, kin, neut., mod.Du. kin f.), OHG. chinni, (MHG. kinne, kin, mod.G. kinn) neut.:—WGer. kinni:—OTeut. *kinnɉo^m (cf. Gr. γένειον chin), a neuter derivative from the primitive *kinn- (retained in ON. kinn ‘cheek, lower jaw’), a fem. cons. stem, standing for kinw- (with assimilation of nw to nn in a pre-tonic syllable, founded on an oblique-case form with accented suffix, e.g., genitive pre-Teutonic *genwós); cognate with Gr. γένυς, γένυος lower jaw, side of the face, cheek, Skr. hanus. (In Goth. kinnus fem., the word had passed into the u decl., like Goth. fôtus, tunthus.

  The word has in Teut. a somewhat wide range of signification ‘cheek, cheek-bone, jaw-bone, chin’; in all the examples preserved in Eng. the meaning is restricted as in modern use: traces of the wider meaning appear however in OE. cin-bán, mandibula (jaw-bone), Ger. kinnbein cheek-bone, and OE. cin-tóþ molar tooth, grinder, OHG. chinnizan cheek-tooth.]

  1.  The part of the face below the under-lip formed by the prominent extremity of the lower jaw.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 157. Mentum, cin.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 35. Ic walde … sitten on forste & on snawe up et mine chinne.

c. 1205.  Lay., 8147. Hengal smat Æuelin swiðe vuele a þane chin.

1393.  Gower, Conf., I. 275. And sette Constantin therinne All naked up unto the chinne.

c. 1475.  Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 747. Hic mentum, a schyne.

c. 1568.  Coverdale, Bk. Death, vi. (1579), 18. The chynne falleth downe … the deadly sweat breaketh out.

1586.  Warner, Alb. Eng., IV. xx. A round and dimpled Chin.

1600.  Shaks., A. Y. L., I. ii. 76. Stroke your chinnes, and sweare by your beards that I am a knaue.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 89. The Mother Cow … Her double Dew-lap from her Chin descends.

1793.  Holcroft, trans. Lavater’s Physiog., xi. 61. The pointed chin is held to be a sign of acuteness and craft.

1828.  Stark, Elem. Nat. Hist., I. 156. Gen[us] Capra.… Horns common to both sexes…; chin bearded.

1832.  Tennyson, Miller’s Dau., i. I see the wealthy miller yet—His double chin, his portly size.

  fig.  1581.  T. Howell, Deuises (1879), 204. Thy makers Muse in spite of enuies chinne, For wise deuise, deserued praise shall winne.

1629.  Milton, Ode Nativity, xxvi. 3. The Sun … Pillows his Chin upon an orient Wave.

  † b.  The hair on the chin, the beard. Obs.

[c. 1205.  Lay., 18764. Swor bi his chinne Þat he wuste Merlin.]

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 18843 (Cott.). Forked fair þe chin he bare.

  † c.  ? Cheek.

c. 1340.  Cursor M., 25491 (Fairf.). Jhesus þat … sufferred for our synne boffetis on þi faire chynne.

  d.  Phrases. † To hold up by the chin: to keep from sinking, support. † Of the first chin: with the beard just beginning to grow. Up to the chin: reaching to the chin; deeply immersed in.

1562.  J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 10. He must néedes swym, that is holde vp by the chyn.

1579.  Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 221–2. Yet they remaine vnpunnished, yea they are holden vp by the chinne to harden them in their wickednesse.

1616.  R. C[rowley], Times’ Whist., V. 1706. The richer sort doe stand up to the chin In delicates.

1630.  Shirley, Grateful Servant, III. iv. Your weak gallants of the first chin … will brag what ladies they have brought to their obedience.

1638.  Earl Strafford, Lett. to Laud, 7 Aug. A languishing purpose to hold me up by the chin … for as long as I may be of use in these affairs.

  2.  Comb., as chin-beard, -chopper, -chucking, -high, -piece, -tip, -tuft, -whiskers; chin-band, -cloth, † -clout, a band or cloth passing under the chin, formerly worn by women, and still used with corpses; also fig.; † chin-cushion, a kind of cravat that was puffed out under the chin; chin-deep a., so deep as to reach the chin; fig. very deep, deeply immersed in; chin-music (U.S.), talk, chatter; chin-mute, a mute applied to the violin by the action of the chin; chin-scab, a disease in sheep; chin-stay, a band for fastening a hat or cap under the chin, also a support for the chin; chin-strap, (a.) = prec.; (b.) Saddlery, a strap connecting the throat-strap and nose-band of a halter; chin-wag (slang), chat, talk; chin-welk, a disease affecting the chin.

1601.  Holland, Pliny, XXXIII. iii. In earings pendant at their ears, in staies, wreaths, and *chin bands.

1856.  Mrs. Browning, Aur. Leigh, 7. Broken loose From chin-bands of the soul, like Lazarus.

1885.  R. L. & F. Stevenson, Dynamiter, 109. A *chin-beard in the American fashion.

1837.  De Quincey, in Tait’s Mag., IV. 171. A *‘chin-chopper’ or Jews’-harp player … will find himself a privileged man in comparison with the philosopher.

1881.  Besant & Rice, Chapl. of Fleet, II. iii. ‘More *chin-chucking, my dear,’ said Nancy.

1632.  Sherwood, Chinne-peece of an helmet, or a (Ladies) *chin-cloth, barbotte, mantonniere, nassel.

1719.  Ozell, trans. Misson’s Trav. Eng., 89–90 (D.). Upon the Head they put a Cap, which they fasten with a very broad Chin cloth.

1856.  Mrs. Browning, Aur. Leigh, IX. (1882), 382. I’ll get up from my grave And wear my chin-cloth for a wedding veil.

1608.  Middleton, Mad World, in Dodsl., O. Pl., V. 362 (N.). The lower part of a gentlewoman’s gown; with a mask and a *chinclout.

1630.  J. Taylor (Water P.), Wks., III. 111/1 (N.).

1748.  Richardson, Clarissa, II. 5 (D.). A King-William-Cravat, or some such antique *chin-cushion, as, by the pictures of that Prince, one sees was then in fashion.

1634.  S. R., Noble Soldier, V. ii. in Bullen, O. Pl., I. 325. In any Noble Act Ile wade *chin-deepe with you.

1823.  Lamb, Elia, Capt. Jackson. To fancy himself all the while chin-deep in riches.

1807.  Vancouver, Agric. Devon (1813), 237. Training the young top … is done by cutting off the shoot *chin high.

1872.  ‘Mark Twain,’ Innoc. at Home, ii. (Hoppe). [I seek] somebody to jerk a little *chin-music for us.

1883.  J. Hay, Bread-Winners, 83. I want to know if we have joined this order to listen to chin-music the rest of our lives, or to do somethin’.

1848.  J. Bishop, trans. Otto’s Violin, App. v. (1875), 85. The *Chin-mute—by means of which … the violinist is enabled … to bring the newly-designed mute into immediate contact with the bridge.

1632.  Sherwood, The *chinne-peece of an helmet … barbotte.

1736–1800.  Bailey, *Chin-scab, a scabby Disease in sheep, which Shepherds call the Dartars.

1699.  F. Bugg, Quakerism Exposed, 20. Four double Cross-cloths for a Woman. One Mantle and seven *Chin-stays.

1829.  Southey, Sir T. More (1831), I. 329. It was necessary to support his under jaw with a chin-stay.

1880.  V. L. Cameron, Our Future Highway, I. vii. 129. A semi-military forage cap with a chin-stay.

1869.  E. A. Parkes, Pract. Hygiene (ed. 3), 411. The men were obliged to have their *chin-straps as tight as possible to keep them [shakos] on.

1850.  Thackeray, Pendennis, xliv. (Hoppe). I am sick of London, and of balls, and of young dandies, with their *chin-tips.

1814.  Moore, New Cost. Ministers, ii. 312. Wig, whiskers, and *chin-tufts all right to a hair.

1879.  Punch, No. 2061. 4. I’d just like to have a bit of *chinwag with you on the quiet.

1862.  H. Macmillan, in Macm. Mag., Oct., 463/1. The disease called *chin-welk, or mentagra (Sycosis contagiosa).

1883.  Grant White, Washington Adams, 113. That adornment known at the West as *‘chin-whiskers.’