Added 2 October 2026
china
/ˈt͡ʃaɪ̯nə/ noun
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about china at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Synonym of porcelain, a hard white translucent ceramic made from kaolin, now sometimes distinguished in reference to tableware as fine or good china.
It's a china doll.
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Chinaware: porcelain tableware.
He set the table with china, cloth napkins, and crystal stemware.
- Cheaper and lower-quality ceramic and ceramic tableware, distinguished from porcelain.
Origin
From clippings of attributive use of China, q.v., the country in East Asia. In reference to porcelain and porcelain objects, via clipping of chinaware and via this sense of Persian چینی (čīnī /čini) in Persia and India, which influenced the pronunciation (see below). In reference to medicine, via clipping of China root. In reference to flowers, via clipping of China rose. In reference to tea, via clipping of China tea. In Cockney slang, a clipping of china plate as a rhyme of mate (“friend”). In reference to drum cymbals, a clipping of China cymbal and as a genericization of a kind of Zildjian-brand cymbal.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)