Obs. Forms: Inf. 1 cínan, 2–3 chinen, chynen, 4–6 chynne, 3– chine; pa. t. 2–3 chan, 3–4 chane, chon, 4– chined; pa. pple. 6– chined. [OE. cínan, cán, cinon, cinen str. vb., corresp. to OS. and OHG. kînan:—OTeut. kînan, in which n appears to have been orig. a present-tense formative, f. stem ki-; cf. Gothic strong pa. pple. us-kijans sprung up, also us-keinan to sprout out, spring up, with change of strong inflexion to the weak inflexion of the inchoative na- class. (Cf. AWAKEN.) From the same root came OE. cíp, OS. cîð, OHG. chîdi, mod.G. dial. keid(e sprout. The primary meaning of the vb. root ‘to burst open, split’ was retained in Eng. See also the deriv. vb. to TO-CHINE.]
1. intr. To burst asunder, split open; to open in fissures; to crack, chink, etc.
a. 700. Epinal Gloss., 495. Hiulca, cinaendi.
a. 800. Erfurt Gloss., cinendi.
a. 1000. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 221. Dehiscens, cinende.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 148. Ȝif men cine hwilc lim.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom. (1867), 83. Þe sunne scineð þurh þe glesne ehþurl . þet gles ne brekeð ne chineð.
c. 1305. in Leg. Rood (1871), 142. His lippes to clouen and chyned.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 212. Hys wounde … gan to chine.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. ii. (1495), 599. By strengthe of hete the erthe cleuyth and chynnyth.
1530. Whitinton, Tullyes Offices, III. (1540), 129. Whan the erthe dyd chyne and gape he went downe in to that great chyne … and dyd se an horse of brasse.
b. To split off, separate by a fissure.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 2228. He smot his stede in the mane, That hed fro the body chane.
2. trans. To burst, split.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 7764. Tho that deth her hert chon.
1508. Fisher, Wks., 148. After the erth be brent, chyned, & chypped by the hete of the sonne.
