chi — English Dictionary

Noun

1. The twenty-second letter of the Classical and Modern Greek alphabets.

Noun

1. A life force in traditional Chinese philosophy, culture, medicine, etc, related (but not limited) to breath and circulation.

   Usage

   • Uncountable
   • usually

   Related words

   chi kungetherhunalife forceorgonepranaqigong

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Early Taoist philosophers and alchemists regarded ch'i as a vital force inhering in the breath and bodily fluids and developed techniques to alter and control the movement of ch'i within the body; their aim was to achieve physical longevity and spiritual power.

   He took several deep breaths, finding his chi as Butler had taught him.

   More examples (2)

   At the greenmarket, it’s still mostly potatoes and apples. There are no tender greens, fava beans, peas, asparagus, artichokes, sorrel, rhubarb or early strawberries. Those harbingers of the season are said to be full of chi, or qi, the Chinese word for life force. We’re craving them as we’re craving lighter, brighter-tasting meals, food that is greener and fresher.

   According to traditional Chinese medicine, blood carries chi, your “life force,” which fuels all the functions of the body. When you lose blood, you lose chi, and this causes your body to go into a state of yin (cold). When yin (cold) and yang (hot) are out of balance, your body will suffer physical disorders.

Noun

1. The Chinese foot, a traditional Chinese unit of length based on the human forearm.

   Usage

   • Uncountable
   • usually

2. The Chinese unit of length standardized in 1984 as ¹/₃ of a meter.

   Usage

   • Mainland-China
   • Uncountable
   • usually

3. The Taiwanese unit of length standardized as ¹⁰/₃₃ of a meter, identical to the Japanese shaku.

   Usage

   • Taiwan
   • Uncountable
   • usually

4. The chek or Hong Kong foot, a unit of length standardized as 0.371475 meters.

   Usage

   • Hong-Kong
   • Uncountable
   • usually

1. the circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things; in traditional Chinese medicine the balance of negative and positive forms in the body is believed to be essential for good health

   Synonyms

   qich'iki

   Broader terms

   energyvimvitality

1. the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet

   Synonyms

   khi

   Broader terms

   letterletter of the alphabetalphabetic character