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chin·qua·pin or chin·ka·pin

(chĭngkə-pĭn′)

1. A chestnut (Castanea pumila) of eastern North America that grows as a shrub or small tree.

2. Any of several evergreen trees or shrubs of the family Fagaceae, including species in the genera Chrysolepis of western North America and Castanopsis of East and Southeast Asia.

3. The edible nut of any of these plants.

[Of Algonquian origin; akin to Virginia Algonquin chechinkamin, chestnut.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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