= Gr. χειρο- combining form of χείρ hand, appearing in Greek in a very large number of words; several of these were adopted in Latin with the spelling chiro-, e.g., chīrographum, chīromantia, chīronomia, chīrothēca, chīrūrgia, and have thus passed into the modern langs.; many more have been taken by these directly from Greek, e.g., chirocracy, chiroscopy, chirosophy, chirotechny, or formed from Greek elements and on Greek analogies, as chiropodist, chirosopher. In modern technical terms, esp. those of botany and zoology, the spelling is often cheir-, e.g., cheiranthus, cheiroptera, cheirotherium.
In words thoroughly naturalized in Latin, CH was treated as C, and had in Romanic the phonetic history of c before i: hence such med.L. forms as cirographum, cirogryllus, cirotheca, ciromancia, cirurgianus, also written cyro-, and It. and OF. and Eng. forms in ciro-, cyro-. But, in most words, modern scholarship has restored the ch- spelling and k pronunciation: see however CHIRURGEON, SURGEON.
The more important of these derivatives follow in their alphabetical order; a few trivial ones are given here: Chirocosmetics sb. pl. [Gr. κοσμητικός; see COSMETIC], the art of adorning the hands. † Chirogram [see -GRAM], used by Bulwer for a diagram illustrating chironomy. Chirogymnast [Gr. γυμναστής; see GYMNAST], an apparatus for exercising the fingers for pianoforte playing. Chiromys, cheiromys [Gr. μῦς mouse], the AYE-AYE of Madagascar. Chiroplast [Gr. πλάστης molder, modeller], an apparatus devised by J. B. Logier in 1814 for keeping the hands in a correct position in pianoforte playing; hence Chiroplastic a. Chiropoietic a. [Gr. ποιητικός making, f. ποιεῖν to make, do], ? surgical. † Chiroponal a. [Gr. πόνος toil + -AL.], pertaining to or involving manual labor (obs.). † Chiroscopical a. [Gr. -σκοπος inspector, examiner], pertaining to palmistry.
1819. Coleridge, in Lit. Rem. (1836), II. 119. Gloves of chicken skin … were at one time a main article in chirocosmetics.
1644. Bulwer, Chirol. & Chiron., 26. Types and Chirograms, whereby this Art might be better illustrated then by words.
1845. Mag. Sc., VI. 137. The Chirogymnast … ought … to cause the different parts of the hand to acquire … dexterity.
1882. Pop. Sc. Monthly Mag., XX. 423. The chiromys … may be regarded as the last survivor.
1842. S. Lover, Handy Andy, i. 5. As for the horse, his legs stuck through the bridge, as though he had been put in a chiroplast. Ibid. The horse’s first lesson in chiroplastic exercise.
1864. Spohr, Autobiog., II. 98. His [Logier’s] chiroplast, a machine by means of which the children get accustomed to a good position of the arms and hands.
1866. Athenæum, No. 2025. 215/2. Logier with his ‘cheiroplast.’
1823. H. H. Wilson, Ess. (1864), I. 391. Operations of the chiropoietic art … as extraction of the stone in the bladder.
1651. Biggs, New Disp., 16 ¶ 44. Chiroponall pyrotechny.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 187. What a Chyroscopical horoscope, or a Planetarian Manual, of jugling, legerdemain, and superstitious imposture?
