Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CHEV'RON, n. [Fr. a rafter; W. ceber; Arm. gebr.]

In heraldry, an honorable ordinary, representing two rafters of a house meeting at the top. – Bailey.

CHEV'RON-ED, a.

Having a chevron, or the form of it. – B. Jonson.

CHEV'RON-EL, n.

A small chevron.

CHEV-RO-TAIN', n. [from Fr. chevre, a goat.]

The smallest of the antelope kind.

CHEW, n.

That which is chewed; that which is held in the mouth at once; a cud. [Vulgar.]

CHEW, v.i.

To champ upon; to ruminate. Old politicians chew on wisdom past. – Pope.

CHEW, v.t. [Sax. ceowan; D. kaauwen; G. kauen. See Chaw.]

1. To bite and grind with the teeth; to masticate, as food, to prepare it for deglutition and digestion.
2. To ruminate in the thoughts; to meditate; as, to chew revenge. – Shak.
3. To champ; to bite, hold or roll about in the mouth; as, to chew tobacco.
4. To taste, without swallowing. – Shak.

CHEW'ED, pp.

Ground by the teeth; masticated.

CHEW'ET, n.

A kind of pie, made of chopped substances.

CHEW'ING, ppr.

Grinding with the teeth; masticating; ruminating; meditating; champing.

CHI'A, n.

A beautiful Mexican plant.

CHI'AN, a.

Pertaining to Chios, an isle in the Levant. Chian earth, a medicinal, dense, compact kind of earth, from Chios, used anciently as an astringent, and a cosmetic. – Encyc. Chian turpentine, or Cyprus turpentine, is procured from the Pistacia Terebinthus. It is of the consistence of honey, clear and of a yellowish white.

CHI'A-RO-OS'CU-RO, n.

See CLARE-OBSCURE.

CHI-AS'TO-LITE, n. [Gr. χιαστος, decussated.]

A mineral, called also macle whose crystals are arranged in a peculiar manner. The form of the crystals is a four-sided prism, whose bases are rhombs, differing little from squares. But each crystal, when viewed at its extremities, or on a transverse section, is obviously composed of two very different substances; and its general aspect is that of a black prism, passing longitudinally through the axis of another prism which is whitish. The term macle, as the name of a distinct species, applies to the whitish prisms only. – Cleaveland.

CHIB'BAL, n. [Fr. ciboule.]

A small sort of onion. – Beaum.

CHI-CANE', n. [Fr. chicane; Arm. cican or cicanerez. Qu. Sax. swican, to deceive.]

1. In law, shift; turn; trick; cavil; an abuse of judiciary proceedings, by artifices, unfair practices, or idle objections, which tend to perplex a cause, puzzle the judge, or impose on a party, and thus to delay or pervert justice.
2. In disputes, sophistry; distinctions and subtleties, that tend to perplex the question and obscure the truth. – Locke.
3. Any artifice or stratagem. – Prior.

CHI-CANE', v.i. [Fr. chicaner.]

To use shifts, cavils or artifices.

CHI-CAN'ER, n. [Fr. chicancur.]

One who uses shifts, turns, evasions or undue artifices, in litigation or disputes; a caviler; a sophister; an unfair disputant. – Locke.

CHI-CANE'RY, n. [Fr. chicanerie.]

Sophistry; mean or unfair artifices to perplex a cause and obscure the truth.

CHICH'ES, n. [plur.]

Dwarf peas.

CHICK, or CHICK'EN, n. [Sax. cicen; D. kuiken; G. küchlein. Qu. Russ. chikayu, to peep.]

1. The young of fowls, particularly of the domestic hen, or gallinaceous fowls.
2. A person of tender years.
3. A word of tenderness.

CHICK, v.i.

To sprout, as seed in the ground; to vegetate. – Chalmers.

CHICK-A-REE', n.

The American red squirrel, the Sciurus Hudsonius.

CHICK'EN-HEART-ED, a.

Timid; fearful; cowardly.

CHICK'EN-POX, n.

A mild contagious eruptive disease, generally appearing in children.