chine

Everyday

1. The backbone of an animal, or a joint of meat that includes part of the backbone. tree →
2. A narrow ridge of land or a mountain ridge. tree →
3. (UK, regional) A deep, narrow ravine cut by a stream through soft cliffs to the sea, especially on the Isle of Wight and in Dorset and Hampshire. tree →
4. (cooking, verb) To cut through the backbone of a joint of meat to make it easier to carve. tree →

In the lessons

It is a rare word. In geography it appears in names of places on the south coast of England like Blackgang Chine and Shanklin Chine. In cooking books a butcher may «chine» a rack of lamb. It tells the reader about a backbone or a steep narrow valley.

Examples

• We walked down Shanklin Chine to the beach on the Isle of Wight. tree →
• The butcher chined the pork so it was easy to carve. tree →
• A chine is a steep ravine cut into a soft cliff. tree →
• The stream had carved a deep chine through the sandstone. tree →
• The chef asked for a chine of beef. tree →
• Bournemouth has several chines leading to the sea. tree →

Note

Countable: a chine, chines. Say «chyne» (rhymes with fine). Not connected with the country China. Rare in everyday speech outside cooking and southern English place names.