chine (ch?n)n.1. a. The backbone or spine, especially of an animal.b. A cut of meat containing part of the backbone.2. A ridge or crest.3. Nautical The line of intersection between the side and bottom of a flatbottom or V-bottom boat.tr.v. chined, chin·ing, chines To cut (a carcass, for example) through the spine, as when butchering.[Middle English, from Old French eschine, of Germanic origin; see skei- in Indo-European roots.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.chine (t?a?n) n1. (Anatomy) the backbone2. (Cookery) the backbone of an animal with adjoining meat, cut for cooking3. (Physical Geography) a ridge or crest of land4. (Nautical Terms) (in some boats) a corner-like intersection where the bottom meets the sidevb (Cookery) (tr) to cut (meat) along or across the backbone[C14: from Old French eschine, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German scina needle, shinbone; see shin1]chine (t?a?n) n (Brewing) another word for chime2chine (t?a?n) n (Geological Science) dialect Southern English a deep fissure in the wall of a cliff[Old English c?nan to crack]chiné (??i?ne?) adj (Textiles) textiles having a mottled pattern[C19: from French chiner to make in the Chinese fashion, from Chine China]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014chine (t?a?n) n., v. chined, chin?ing. n. 1. the backbone or spine, esp. of an animal. 2. the angular intersection of the bottom and sides of a boat. v.t. 3. (in butchering) to sever the backbone of. [1250?1300; Middle English eschine