/ˈt͡ʃaɪnə/, [ˈt͡ʃ(ʰ)aɪ̯nə]
OriginFrom Portuguese China, from possibly Venetan Cina probably under influence from Old French Chin, from Classical Persian چین (čīn) under influence from Medieval Latin Sina (“China”), from Middle Persian 𐭰𐭩𐭭 (Čīn, “China”), from Sanskrit चीन (cīna, “the Chinese; China”) of uncertain etymology. It is usually thought to be derived from Chinese 秦 (Qín) (sm Qín, mc d͡ziɪn, oc *zin, "Qin"), the westernmost ancient Chinese state, but other theories have been proposed, including derivation from 晉 /晋 (jìn) (sm Jìn, mc t͡siɪn, oc *ʔsins, "Jin"), another important ancient state; 荊 /荆 (jīng) (sm Jīng, mc kˠiæŋ, oc *keŋ, "Chu"), the southernmost ancient Chinese state; or Zina, the endonym of the people of the Yelang kingdom. See "Names of China" and "Chinas" at Wikipedia. As a female name, usually derived via china (“porcelain”) and china doll, ultimately from the same source.
- uncountable, usuallyA cultural region and civilization in East Asia, occupying the region around the Yellow, Yangtze, and Pearl Rivers, taken as a whole under its various dynasties.
“China has 5000 years of history.”
“The great China, whose kyng is thought... the greatest prince in the worlde.”
“All China is divided into 15 Provinces, which are bigger than large Kingdoms.”
- uncountable, usuallyA large country in East Asia, occupying the region around the Yellow, Yangtze, and Pearl Rivers; the People's Republic of China, since 1949.
“'Only a Nixon' Could Go to China”
“2017, Donald J. Trump, speech at Make America Great Again Rally, Harrisburg, PA
And I met with the President of China at great length in Florida, and we had long, long talks—hours and hours and hours.”
“China is 75 years old as of October 1, 2024.”
- uncountable, usuallySynonym of mainland China.
“The gambling winnings were transferred from Macau to China.”
- uncountable, usuallyChina in One China, asserting that there is only one de jure Chinese nation
“It will not change the historical and legal facts that there is only one China in the world.”
- historical, uncountable, usuallyAny of the empires occupying similar territory to that of the modern nation of China, ruled under various dynasties up through the early 20th century.
- historical, uncountable, usuallyThe Republic of China prior to 1949, and sometimes after that time, particularly up through the early 1970's or so (when the People's Republic of China assumed the United Nations seat allocated to China).
- rare, uncountable, usuallyA female given name.
“My name is China Bayles. I'm the owner of Thyme and Seasons and the co-owner, with Ruby Wilcox, of a new tearoom called Thyme for Tea.”
“'What's her name, this girl?' The fight had hoarsened Lynne's voice, and the words came out strangely staccato - a wooden doll that had just learned to speak.
'China,' he mumbled, feeling an obscure d”
- uncountable, usuallyAn unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Indiana, United States.
- uncountable, usuallyA town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States.
“The golden baked pâté chinois, a shepherd's pie, uses a recipe brought back to Quebec by miners working in China, Me.”
- uncountable, usuallyAn unincorporated community in Howell County, Missouri, United States.
- uncountable, usuallyA hamlet in Delaware County, New York, United States.
- uncountable, usuallyA small city in Jefferson County, Texas, United States.
- uncountable, usuallyA municipality and town in Nuevo León, Mexico.
- uncountable, usuallyA surname.
- A town in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
“According to the town of China, if all students commuting by motorcycles switched to electric ones, carbon emissions could be reduced to under one-fourth of the current amount.”
“The two towns on the island, China (pronounced chee-nah) and Wadomari, along with neighboring Tokunoshima island, each have different dialects.”
- alt-of, countable, uncountableAlternative letter-case form of china: porcelain tableware.
- countable, obsolete, uncountableA Chinese person.
- abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountableClipping of China rose, various flowers.
- abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountableClipping of China tea.
- uncountableSynonym of porcelain, a hard white translucent ceramic made from kaolin, now (chiefly US) sometimes distinguished in reference to tableware as fine or good china.
- uncountableChinaware: porcelain tableware.
“They sell Callicoes, Cheney Sattin, Cheney ware.”
“...a Present of certain very rich Pieces of China.”
“He set the table with china, cloth napkins, and crystal stemware.”
- US, dated, uncountableCheaper and lower-quality ceramic and ceramic tableware, distinguished from porcelain.
“What is porcelain? A fine earthenware differing from china in being harder, whiter, harder to fuse and more translucent than ordinary pottery.”
- uncountableSynonym of China root, the root of Smilax china (particularly) as a medicine.
“China, saith Manardus, makes a good colour in the face, takes away melancholy, and all infirmities proceeding from cold […].”
- obsolete, uncountableSynonym of cheyney: worsted or woolen stuff.
“...And then the last boon I'll implore,
Is to bless us with China so tight...”
- countableSynonym of China rose, in its various senses.
“Rosa indica (the common China); Rosa semperflorens (the monthly China).”
- Australia, Cockney, South-Africa, countable, slangSynonym of mate (rhyme of china-plate).
“All right, me old china?”
“‘Now, then, my china-plate...’ This is essentially a brick~layer's phrase. If for ‘china-plate’ you substitute ‘mate’,[…] the puzzle is revealed.”
“China, or Old China: chum.”
- dated, uncountableTea from China, (particularly) varieties cured by smoking or opposed to Indian cultivars.
“Tea... Finest China, Plain (Moning).”
- US, countable, obsoleteA glazed china marble.
“The marbles, in those days, had their primitive names. The unglazed china ones were called plasters because they looked like plaster; the glazed china marbles were called chinas. I remember how charmi”
- countableA kind of drum cymbal approximating a Chinese style of cymbal, but usually with Turkish influences.
“China cymbals are a type of short sound cymbal. [Brand X] makes chinas with really short sounds.”
FormsChinas(plural) · Chin(alternative, obsolete) · Chyna(alternative) · chinas(plural) · China(alternative) · chiney(alternative) · cheny(alternative) · cheney(alternative) · chenea(alternative) · chainy(alternative) · chaney(alternative) · chany(alternative) · chaynee(alternative) · chayney(alternative) · cheenie(alternative) · cheeny(alternative) · chainé(alternative)