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# chink

«chink» in Mova's school dictionary: **A narrow crack or opening, as in a wall or door, that…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a chink, chinks); verb (chink, chinks, chinked, chinking)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A narrow crack or opening, as in a wall or door, that light can come through. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/#m1)

2) A light ringing sound, like coins or glasses knocking together. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/#m2)

3) (verb) To make this sound: «The coins chinked in his pocket.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/#m3)

4) (phrase) «A chink in someone's armour» means a weak spot. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/#m4)

5) (rude, offensive) A very offensive word used against Chinese or East Asian people; never use it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/#m5)

### sense in the lessons

In stories, light shining through a chink in the curtains or under a door, or spying through a chink in the fence, is common. In The Wind in the Willows, light through chinks in shutters can show someone is home. The sound sense goes with coins and glasses. Sense 5 is a racist insult — if you hear it, it is right to tell a teacher.

### examples

- Sunlight came through a chink in the curtains. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/#x1)
- The coins chinked in the money box. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/#x2)
- We peeped through a chink in the fence. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/#x3)
- The glasses chinked as they clinked them together. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/#x4)
- His only chink in the armour is his weak left foot. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/#x5)
- There was a chink of light under the door. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/#x6)
- He hid himself behind the door of the bath, and peeped through a chink. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/#x7)

### note

Senses 1–4 are ordinary English. Sense 5 is a racist slur: never call anyone this. Similar for sound: clink, jingle, tinkle.

### In the corpora

- [Then «a chink of coin passing from paw to paw».](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/44-willows-ch5-part4-the-carol-and-a-happy-homecoming/22/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «chink» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chink/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.