Chirk vs Chink - What's the difference?
chirk | chink |
(especially as chirk up) To become happier.
*'>citation
*{{quote-book, year=1908, author=Grace Livingston Hill Lutz, title=Marcia Schuyler, chapter=, edition=
, 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=
, 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=
, 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.
(colloquial, US, chiefly, New England) lively; cheerful; in good spirits
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
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
To fill an opening such as the space between logs in a log house with chinking; to caulk.
To crack; to open.
To cause to open in cracks or fissures.
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 make a slight sound like that of metal objects touching.
To cause to make a sharp metallic sound, as coins, small pieces of metal, etc., by bringing them into collision with each other.
As verbs the difference between chirk and chink
is that chirk is to become happier while chink is to fill an opening such as the space between logs in a log house with chinking; to caulk.As an adjective chirk
is lively; cheerful; in good spirits.As a noun chink is
a narrow opening such as a fissure or crack.chirk
English
Verb
(en verb)citation
citation
citation
Adjective
(en-adj)Usage notes
* The comparative and superlative forms of chirky'', chirkier''' and '''chirkiest , are sometimes used suppletively as comparative and superlative forms of ''chirk . ----chink
English
Etymology 1
Of uncertain origin; but apparently an extension (with formative (m)) of (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .Noun
(en noun)- Through one cloudless chink , in a black, stormy sky, / Shines out the dewy morning star.
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 chink a wall
Etymology 2
Onomatopoeic.Noun
(en noun)- to leave his chink to better hands
Verb
(en verb)- The coins were chinking in his pocket.
- (Alexander Pope)