china

== English == === Alternative forms === China (generally dated) chiney, cheny, cheney, chenea, chainy, chaney, chany, chaynee, chayney, cheenie, cheeny, chainé (dialectal) === Etymology === From clippings of attributive use of China, q.v., the country in East Asia. In reference to porcelain and porcelain objects, via clipping of chinaware and via this sense of Persian چینی (čīnī / čini) in Persia and India, which influenced the pronunciation (see below). In reference to medicine, via clipping of China root. In reference to flowers, via clipping of China rose. In reference to tea, via clipping of China tea. In Cockney slang, a clipping of china plate as a rhyme of mate (“friend”). In reference to drum cymbals, a clipping of China cymbal and as a genericization of a kind of Zildjian-brand cymbal. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃaɪ̯nə/, [ˈt͡ʃʰaɪ̯nə] (Australian) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃɑɪ̯nə/, [ˈt͡ʃʰɑ̈ɪ̯nə] (obsolete) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃeːni/, /ˈt͡ʃiːni/ Rhymes: -aɪnə Hyphenation: chi‧na === Noun === china (countable and uncountable, plural chinas) (uncountable) Synonym of porcelain, a hard white translucent ceramic made from kaolin, now (chiefly US) sometimes distinguished in reference to tableware as fine or good china. (uncountable) Chinaware: porcelain tableware. 1653, Henry Cogan translating Fernão Mendes Pinto as The Voyages and Adventures of Fernand Mendez Pinto, p. 206: ...a Present of certain very rich Pieces of China. (uncountable, chiefly US, dated) Cheaper and lower-quality ceramic and ceramic tableware, distinguished from porcelain. (uncountable) Synonym of China root, the root of Smilax china (particularly) as a medicine. (uncountable, obsolete) Synonym of cheyney: worsted or woolen stuff. (countable) Synonym of China rose, in its various senses. (countable, Cockney rhyming slang, Australia, South Africa) Synonym of mate (rhyme of china-plate). (uncountable, dated) Tea from China, (particularly) varieties cured by smoking or opposed to Indian cultivars. (countable, games, chiefly US, obsolete) A glazed china marble. (countable, music) A kind of drum cymbal approximating a Chinese style of cymbal, but usually with Turkish influences. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === === Anagrams === hican, Chi-an, chain, Chain, Chian, Anich, Achin == Asturian == === Adjective === china feminine singular of chinu == French == === Verb === china third-person singular past historic of chiner === Anagrams === nicha == Italian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈki.na/ Rhymes: -ina Hyphenation: chì‧na === Etymology 1 === See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. ==== Adjective ==== china f sg feminine singular of chino === Etymology 2 === Deverbal from chinare +‎ -a. ==== Noun ==== china f (plural chine) slope, decline, descent Synonyms: pendio, declivio, discesa ===== Related terms ===== === Etymology 3 === Borrowed from Spanish quina, quinaquina, from Quechua. ==== Noun ==== china f (plural chine) cinchona (tree) ===== Related terms ===== === Etymology 4 === From Portuguese China, namely "ink of China". ==== Noun ==== china f (plural chine) India ink === Etymology 5 === See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. ==== Verb ==== china inflection of chinare: third-person singular present indicative second-person singular imperative == Japanese == === Romanization === china Rōmaji transcription of ちな == Kalasha == === Adjective === china alternative spelling of čhína == Macanese == === Noun === china (plural china-china) a Chinese person, especially from mainland China (collective) the Chinese ==== Synonyms ==== náchi === Adjective === china Chinese (from or relating to China) === Derived terms === === References === https://www.macaneselibrary.org/pub/english/uipatua.htm == Portuguese == === Pronunciation === Homophone: China === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from Spanish china, from Quechua china (“female”). ==== Noun ==== china f (plural chinas) (Rio Grande do Sul) a woman, especially one of Native American descent (Rio Grande do Sul, derogatory) a prostitute === Etymology 2 === From China. ==== Noun ==== china m or f by sense (plural chinas) (dated or informal) Chinaman; Chinese; someone from China Synonym: chinês === Etymology 3 === ==== Verb ==== china inflection of chinar: third-person singular present indicative second-person singular imperative === Further reading === “china”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “china”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Quechua == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃɪ.na/ === Noun === china female (of humans or animals) a woman of low social status servant, slavegirl ==== Declension ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Spanish: china (“female servant”) === References === Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua (2005), “china”, in Diccionario quechua-español-quechua/Qheswa-español-qheswa simi taqe‎[1], Cuzco: Regional Government of Cuzco == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃina/ [ˈt͡ʃi.na] Rhymes: -ina Syllabification: chi‧na === Etymology 1 === From the infantile/nursery word chin, a children's guessing game. ==== Noun ==== china f (plural chinas) pebble, small stone (usually rounded) (Venezuela) slingshot ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== === Etymology 2 === ==== Noun ==== china f (plural chinas) female equivalent of chino (“Chinese man”) china (porcelain) (Puerto Rico) orange, sweet orange (colloquial, Cuba) chickenpox Synonym: varicela ==== Adjective ==== china feminine singular of chino === Etymology 3 === Borrowed from Quechua china (“female”). ==== Noun ==== china f (plural chinas) (derogatory, South America) female servant in a hacienda (Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua) babysitter Synonym: niñera === Etymology 4 === Literally, “the Chinese”. Allusion to the orange fruit's Asian origin (as in sinensis in Citrus sinensis). ==== Noun ==== china f (plural chinas) (Puerto Rico) orange (fruit) === References === === Further reading === “china”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025