chit
noun
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L16230 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /t͡ʃɪt/
intj
Etymology: Euphemistic variation of shit.
- Shit.
noun
Etymology: Euphemistic variation of shit.
- Shit.
verb
Etymology: From Middle English *chit, *chitte, from Old English ċīþ (“germ, seed, sprout, shoot”), from Proto-Germanic *kīþą (“sprout”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵī-, *ǵey(H)- (“to divide, part, split open, sprout”). Cognate with Middle Dutch kiede (“sprout”), dialectal German Keid (“sprout”). Doublet of chive (etymology 2) and scion.
- To sprout; to shoot, as a seed or plant.
“I have known it chit in seven hours after it had been thrown forth of the Cistern and within three days come enough; the Maltster being forced to stir it six, seven or eight times a day,”
- To damage the outer layers of a seed such as Lupinus or Sophora to assist germination.
- To initiate sprouting of tubers, such as potatoes, by placing them in special environment, before planting into the soil.
“Gardeners argue among themselves about how necessary chitting is, but I stick with tradition and do chit my seed potatoes.”