china

Origin: From clippings of attributive use of China, q.v., the country in East Asia. In reference to porcelain and porcelain objects, via clipping of chinaware and via this sense of in Persia and India, which influenced the pronunciation (see below). In reference to medicine, via clipping of China root. In reference to flowers, via clipping of China rose. In reference to tea, via clipping of China tea. In Cockney slang, a clipping of china plate as a rhyme of friend. In reference to drum cymbals, a clipping of China cymbal and as a genericization of a kind of Zildjian-brand cymbal. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).