What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Chinked vs Chirked - What's the difference?

chinked | chirked |

As verbs the difference between chinked and chirked

is that chinked is past tense of chink while chirked is past tense of chirk.

chinked

English

Verb

(head)
  • (chink)

    • chink

    English

    Etymology 1

    Of uncertain origin; but apparently an extension (with formative (m)) of (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A narrow opening such as a fissure or crack.
  • *1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4
  • *:Yet I did not give way, but settled to wait for the dawn, which must, I knew, be now at hand; for then I thought enough light would come through the chinks of the tomb above to show me how to set to work.
  • * Macaulay
    • Through one cloudless chink , in a black, stormy sky, / Shines out the dewy morning star.
  • A chip or dent (in something metallic).
  • A vulnerability or flaw in a protection system or in any otherwise formidable system, idiomatically derived from the phrase "chink in armor".
  • * The warrior saw a chink in her enemy's armor, and aimed her spear accordingly.
  • * The chink in the theory is that the invaders have superior muskets.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 30 , author=Kevin Darlng , title=Arsenal 2 - 1 Huddersfield , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=The first chink in Arsenal's relaxed afternoon occurred when key midfielder Samir Nasri pulled up with a hamstring injury and was replaced. }}

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To fill an opening such as the space between logs in a log house with chinking; to caulk.
    • to chink a wall
  • To crack; to open.
  • To cause to open in cracks or fissures.

    • Etymology 2

    Onomatopoeic.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A slight sound as of metal objects touching each other.
  • Ready money, especially in the form of coins.
  • *1834 , David Crockett, A Narrative of the Life of , Nebraska 1987, pp. 47-8:
  • *:I thought that if all the hills about there were pure chink , and all belonged to me, I would give them if I could just talk to her when I wanted to
  • * Somerville
    • to leave his chink to better hands

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make a slight sound like that of metal objects touching.
    • The coins were chinking in his pocket.
  • To cause to make a sharp metallic sound, as coins, small pieces of metal, etc., by bringing them into collision with each other.
    • (Alexander Pope)

    Etymology 3

    Noun

    (en noun)

    • chirked

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (chirk)

    • chirk

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (especially as chirk up) To become happier.
  • *'>citation
  • *{{quote-book, year=1908, author=Grace Livingston Hill Lutz, title=Marcia Schuyler, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage=Now you jest wipe your eyes and chirk up. }}
  • *{{quote-book, year=1894, author=Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), title=Tom Sawyer Abroad, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage="Go ahead," he says, and I see Jim chirk up to listen. }}
  • (especially as chirk up) To make happier.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1912, author=Zona Gale, title=Christmas, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage=But--" "Well, I think," said Mis' Jane Moran, "that we've hit on the only way we could have hit on to chirk each other up over a hard time." }}
  • To make the sound of a bird; to chirp.

    • Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • (colloquial, US, chiefly, New England) lively; cheerful; in good spirits

    • Usage notes

    * The comparative and superlative forms of chirky'', chirkier''' and '''chirkiest , are sometimes used suppletively as comparative and superlative forms of ''chirk . ----