chine

Ridge of land

Chine has two distinct origins in English.

One is a ridge or crest—originally a backbone, now mainly the cut of meat including part of the spine: a chine of pork.

The other chine, used chiefly in southern England, is a deep narrow ravine cutting through coastal cliffs to the sea: We walked down through the chine to the beach.

In boatbuilding, the chine is the angle where the bottom meets the side of a flat-bottomed hull. (Capitalized China is the country.)

butchery

saddle

Mounted rider's seat

loinLower back region
roastDry-heat cooking method
rackFrame for holding items

joint · carve · cleaver · debone · carcass · butcher · standing rib · crown roast · frenching · seam

nautical

keel

Hull's structural base

hullOuter covering or frame
plankingWooden boards collectively
stemPlant's central axis

sternpost · strake · keelson · ribbing · shipwright · clinker · carvel · caulking · timber · boat building

geography

ridge

Narrow raised strip

ravineDeep, narrow valley
cliffVertical rock wall
gorgeDeep, narrow valley

crest · valley · escarpment · coastal · landform · erosion · sandstone · chalk · Dorset · promontory

spine

vertebrae

Interlocking bones of spine

spinalOf the backbone
dorsalOf the back
vertebralOf the backbone

column · back · skeleton · axis · posture · alignment · upright · marrow · cervical · thoracic

chine

saddle

keel

ridge

vertebrae

chine

Opposites

Phrases

Categories

Family