Middle English Dictionary Entry
chin n.
Entry Info
| Forms | chin n. Also shin(e. Pl. chinnes. |
| Etymology | OE cin(n |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The chin; clove ~, forked ~, a dimpled chin; (b) sweren bi the chinne, assert solemnly; (c) up to the chinne, up to one's chin (in water or filth).
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)12/30 : Fram þan cynne to þan breostan.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8148 : Þer Herigal smat Æuelin swiðe vuele a þane chin.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)20305 : Baldulf lette striken to þan bare lichen his bærd and his chinne..he lette sceren half his hæfd.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)26055 : And þen chin him ofswipte mid alle þan cheuele.
- c1275 Þene latemeste dai (Clg A.9)78 : Þi bur is sone ibuld þer þu schal wunien inne; Þe rof, þe firste, schal ligge o þine chinne.
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)727 : [The foetus] lith in þe wombe..þe elbouwes riȝt in þe schere, þe fustus to þe chinne.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.554 : Þe nasel he carf atvo & þe venteyle..Riȝt to his bare chinne.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)50/30 : Þet is þe vissere of helle þet nymþ þane viss bi þe þrote and by þe chinne.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.195 : For to festne his hood vnder his chyn.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.775 : He seth hire rede lippes eke, Hire chyn acordeth to the face.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1892 : Sche made him debonaire and meke, And be the chyn and be the cheke Sche luggeth him riht as hir list.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)45b/a : Þe chin haþ tweye bones..and þilke bones ben I ioyned togedres in þe middel..þe endes of þese bones ben departid & hauen tweye forkes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)46a/a : Þe teeþ ben..I piȝt by rootes..in þe bones of þe chekes & of þe chynne [L menti].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)299b/b : Tragelaphi..ben of þe kynde of þe hert and haue..rowhe chynnes wiþ berdes.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)18843 : Forked fair þe chin he bare And tender berd wit mikel hare.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)11877 : Herodes..liftid up his lathli chin.
- a1400 Whanne þe ffet (Hrl 7322)3 : Whanne..þe shyne sharpetz And þe þrote Roteletz And þe hew ffalewetz.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.193 : As a letheren purs lolled his chekes, Well sydder þan his chyn þei chiueled for elde.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)550 : Hir face whit..With litel mouth..A clove chynne eke hadde she.
- ?a1425 Const.Masonry(1) (Roy 17.A.1)706 : Al the whyle thou spekest with hym, Fayre and lovelyche bere up thy chyn.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)174 : Somme henge her chyn upon hir brest.
- a1450 We bern abowtyn (Sln 2593)p.279 : Pursis, perlis, syluer pynnis, Smale wympele[s] for ladyis chynnys.
- c1450 Metham Physiog.(Gar 141)135 : The chyn, qwan yt ys sclendyr and longe, yt sygnyfyith wrath.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)47 : The Pardoner..toke hir by the Chynne And seyd to hir..'Allas, þat love ys syn!'
- c1475 Rwl.Prov.(Rwl D.328)p.119 : He may þe better suwe [read: swime] þat ys holdde vp by þe schyn!
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)2374 : A maydon chaste & myld of chere, Lufflye of chynne and cheke.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)3792 : He kyste hym cheke and chynne.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)9110 : Swa me helpen min hefde & mi chin, wulcume ært þu!
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)18764 : Me com to an æremite..& swor bi his chinne þat [etc.].
- a1350(1265) BLewes (Hrl 2253)30 : Sire simond de mountfort haþ suore bi ys chyn, heuede he nou here þe erl of waryn, shulde he neuer more come to is yn.
c
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)96 : Þine fule brode..fuleþ hit [the nest] up to þe chinne.
- ?a1300 11 Pains(1) (Dgb 86)404/100 : Some..stondeþ in to heere knee..Ba[k]-bitter is..to hoere chinne.
- c1300 SLeg.Cuth.(LdMisc 108)87 : In-to þe colde se he ȝeode a-non op to þe chinne.
- ?c1335(a1300) Cokaygne (Hrl 913)181 : Seue ȝere in swine is dritte He mote wade..Al anon vp to þe chynne.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.372 : In helle..Ther is a flod..What man that stonde schal therinne, He stant up evene unto the chinne.
- c1450 Lond.Chron.Cleo.(Cleo C.4)144 : vi men perisshed, in the watyr vp to the chynne.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)67/16 : Ayþer of hom stode yn a watyr..vp to þe chyn, for penaunce.
2.
(a) The bone of the lower jaw, jawbone; ~ ban; (b) cheek; (c) ~ wedes, chin-covering, beard.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)13/1 : Fram þan cynnbane to..þane muþ.
- c1390(?a1300) Stations Rome(1) (Vrn)450 : At þe chirche, þer seint Iulian lith, Þer is his chin with his teth.
b
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)2176 : Fram þe riȝt half of is frount toward þe left chinne, A smal rewe þere was of blode þat ouer is nose drouȝ.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)25491 : Iesus þat wald..suffer..Boffetes on þi soft chin [Frf: chynne].
c
- c1450(c1353) Winner & W.(Add 31042)24 : A childe appon chere, with-owtten chynwedys.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. chin.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 2.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. chin bone.