Chink is a derogatory ethnic slur meant to insult the Chinese. Similar to chinaman, gook, jap, slant.

T.S. Eliot used this term in this context in his book of poems, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

Chink is an English derogotory and abusive term that probably originated as a mis-pronunciation of the Chinese word Chung-kuo ("China").

Quite a number of English words have Chinese roots.
Among them are:

Beezer for a nose, from the Chinese term ta-be-tsu for Westerners, "the big-nosed ones."

Brainwashing, a direct translation of the Chinese hsi-nau, "to wash the brain."

See also: Tong, Typhoon, Jerk

Toodles...

Chink (?), n. [OE. chine, AS. cine fissure, chink, fr. cinan to gape; akin to Goth. Keinan to sprout, G. keimen. Cf. Chit.]

A small cleft, rent, or fissure, of greater length than breadth; a gap or crack; as, the chinks of wall.

Through one cloudless chink, in a black, stormy sky. Shines out the dewy morning star. Macaulay.

 

© Webster 1913.


Chink, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Chinked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Chinking.]

To crack; to open.

 

© Webster 1913.


Chink, v. t.

1.

To cause to open in cracks or fissures.

2.

To fill up the chinks of; as, to chink a wall.

 

© Webster 1913.


Chink, n. [Of imitative origin. Cf. Jingle.]

1.

A short, sharp sound, as of metal struck with a slight degree of violence.

"Chink of bell."

Cowper.

2.

Money; cash.

[Cant] "To leave his chink to better hands."

Somerville.

 

© Webster 1913.


Chink, v. t.

To cause to make a sharp metallic sound, as coins, small pieces of metal, etc., by bringing them into collision with each other.

Pope.

 

© Webster 1913.


Chink, v. i.

To make a slight, sharp, metallic sound, as by the collision of little pieces of money, or other small sonorous bodies.

Arbuthnot.

 

© Webster 1913.

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