9 letter word starting with ch

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Words Parts of Speech Meaning/Definition/Similar Words
chamomile noun A genus of herbs (Anthemis) of the Composite family. The common camomile, A. nobilis, is used as a popular remedy. Its flowers have a strong and fragrant and a bitter, aromatic taste. They are tonic, febrifugal, and in large doses emetic, and the volatile oil is carminative., See Camomile.
chabasite noun Alt. of Cabazite
chaetetes noun A genus of fossil corals, common in the lower Silurian limestones.
chaetopod adjective Pertaining to the Chaetopoda., One of the Chaetopoda.
chafeweed noun The cudweed (Gnaphalium), used to prevent or cure chafing.
chaffered imp. & past participle of Chaffer
chafferer noun One who chaffers; a bargainer.
chaffinch noun A bird of Europe (Fringilla coelebs), having a variety of very sweet songs, and highly valued as a cage bird; — called also copper finch.
chaffless adjective Without chaff.
chagrined imp. & past participle of Chagrin
chainless adjective Having no chain; not restrained or fettered.
chainwork noun Work looped or linked after the manner of a chain; chain stitch work.
chalazion noun A small circumscribed tumor of the eyelid caused by retention of secretion, and by inflammation of the Melbomian glands.
chaldaism noun An idiom or peculiarity in the Chaldee dialect.
chaldrich noun Alt. of Chalder
challenge noun An invitation to engage in a contest or controversy of any kind; a defiance; specifically, a summons to fight a duel; also, the letter or message conveying the summons., The act of a sentry in halting any one who appears at his post, and demanding the countersign., A claim or demand., The opening and crying of hounds at first finding the scent of their game., An exception to a juror or to a member of a court martial, coupled with a demand that he should be held incompetent to act; the claim of a party that a certain person or persons shall not sit in trial upon him or his cause., An exception to a person as not legally qualified to vote. The challenge must be made when the ballot is offered., To call to a contest of any kind; to call to answer; to defy., To call, invite, or summon to answer for an offense by personal combat., To claim as due; to demand as a right., To censure; to blame., To question or demand the countersign from (one who attempts to pass the lines); as, the sentinel challenged us, with “Who comes there?”, To take exception to; question; as, to challenge the accuracy of a statement or of a quotation., To object to or take exception to, as to a juror, or member of a court., To object to the reception of the vote of, as on the ground that the person in not qualified as a voter., To assert a right; to claim a place.
chalybean adjective Of or pertaining to the Chalybes, an ancient people of Pontus in Asia Minor, celebrated for working in iron and steel., Of superior quality and temper; — applied to steel.
chalybite noun Native iron carbonate; — usually called siderite.
chambered imp. & past participle of Chamber, Having a chamber or chambers; as, a chambered shell; a chambered gun.
chamberer noun One who attends in a chamber; a chambermaid., A civilian; a carpetmonger.
chameleon noun A lizardlike reptile of the genus Chamaeleo, of several species, found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The skin is covered with fine granulations; the tail is prehensile, and the body is much compressed laterally, giving it a high back.
chamfered imp. & past participle of Chamfer
champagne noun A light wine, of several kinds, originally made in the province of Champagne, in France.
champaign noun A flat, open country., Flat; open; level.
champerty noun Partnership in power; equal share of authority., The prosecution or defense of a suit, whether by furnishing money or personal services, by one who has no legitimate concern therein, in consideration of an agreement that he shall receive, in the event of success, a share of the matter in suit; maintenance with the addition of an agreement to divide the thing in suit. See Maintenance.
chanceful adjective Hazardous.
chancroid noun A venereal sore, resembling a chancre in its seat and some external characters, but differing from it in being the starting point of a purely local process and never of a systemic disease; — called also soft chancre.
chancrous adjective Of the nature of a chancre; having chancre.
chandlery noun Commodities sold by a chandler.
changeful adjective Full of change; mutable; inconstant; fickle; uncertain.
channeled imp. & past participle of Channel
chantress noun A female chanter or singer.
chantries plural of Chantry
chaomancy noun Divination by means of appearances in the air.
chaparral noun A thicket of low evergreen oaks., An almost impenetrable thicket or succession of thickets of thorny shrubs and brambles.
chapeless adjective Without a chape.
chapleted imp. & past participle of Chaplet
character noun A distinctive mark; a letter, figure, or symbol., Style of writing or printing; handwriting; the peculiar form of letters used by a particular person or people; as, an inscription in the Runic character., The peculiar quality, or the sum of qualities, by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others; the stamp impressed by nature, education, or habit; that which a person or thing really is; nature; disposition., Strength of mind; resolution; independence; individuality; as, he has a great deal of character., Moral quality; the principles and motives that control the life; as, a man of character; his character saves him from suspicion., Quality, position, rank, or capacity; quality or conduct with respect to a certain office or duty; as, in the miserable character of a slave; in his character as a magistrate; her character as a daughter., The estimate, individual or general, put upon a person or thing; reputation; as, a man’s character for truth and veracity; to give one a bad character., A written statement as to behavior, competency, etc., given to a servant., A unique or extraordinary individuality; a person characterized by peculiar or notable traits; a person who illustrates certain phases of character; as, Randolph was a character; Caesar is a great historical character., One of the persons of a drama or novel., To engrave; to inscribe., To distinguish by particular marks or traits; to describe; to characterize.
charbocle noun Carbuncle.
chargeant adjective Burdensome; troublesome.
chargeful adjective Costly; expensive.
chargeous adjective Burdensome.
chariness noun The quality of being chary.
charioted imp. & past participle of Chariot
chariotee noun A light, covered, four-wheeled pleasure carriage with two seats.
charities plural of Charity
charivari noun A mock serenade of discordant noises, made with kettles, tin horns, etc., designed to annoy and insult.
charlatan noun One who prates much in his own favor, and makes unwarrantable pretensions; a quack; an impostor; an empiric; a mountebank.
charlotte noun A kind of pie or pudding made by lining a dish with slices of bread, and filling it with bread soaked in milk, and baked.
charmless adjective Destitute of charms.
chartered imp. & past participle of Charter, Granted or established by charter; having, or existing under, a charter; having a privilege by charter., Hired or let by charter, as a ship.
charterer noun One who charters; esp. one who hires a ship for a voyage.
chartless adjective Without a chart; having no guide., Not mapped; uncharted; vague.
chartreux noun A Carthusian.
charwomen plural of Charwoman
charwoman noun A woman hired for odd work or for single days.
charybdis noun A dangerous whirlpool on the coast of Sicily opposite Scylla on the Italian coast. It is personified as a female monster. See Scylla.
chasselas noun A white grape, esteemed for the table.
chassepot noun A kind of breechloading, center-fire rifle, or improved needle gun.
chastened imp. & past participle of Chasten, Corrected; disciplined; refined; purified; toned down.
chastener noun One who chastens.
chastised imp. & past participle of Chastise
chastiser noun One who chastises; a punisher; a corrector.
chatoyant adjective Having a changeable, varying luster, or color, like that of a changeable silk, or oa a cat’s eye in the dark., A hard stone, as the cat’s-eye, which presents on a polished surface, and in the interior, an undulating or wary light.
chattered imp. & past participle of Chatter
chatterer noun A prater; an idle talker., A bird of the family Ampelidae — so called from its monotonous note. The Bohemion chatterer (Ampelis garrulus) inhabits the arctic regions of both continents. In America the cedar bird is a more common species. See Bohemian chatterer, and Cedar bird.
chauldron noun See Chawdron.
chaussure noun A foot covering of any kind.
chavender noun The chub.
chay root The root of the Oldenlandia umbellata, native in India, which yieds a durable red dyestuff.
cheapened imp. & past participle of Cheapen
cheapener noun One who cheapens.
cheapness noun Lowness in price, considering the usual price, or real value.
cheatable adjective Capable of being cheated.
checkered imp. & past participle of Checker, Marked with alternate squares or checks of different color or material., Diversified or variegated in a marked manner, as in appearance, character, circumstances, etc.
checkless adjective That can not be checked or restrained.
checkmate noun The position in the game of chess when a king is in check and cannot be released, — which ends the game., A complete check; utter defeat or overthrow., To check (an adversary’s king) in such a manner that escape in impossible; to defeat (an adversary) by putting his king in check from which there is no escape., To defeat completely; to terminate; to thwart.
checkrein noun A short rein looped over the check hook to prevent a horse from lowering his head; — called also a bearing rein., A branch rein connecting the driving rein of one horse of a span or pair with the bit of the other horse.
checkroll noun A list of servants in a household; — called also chequer roll.
checkwork noun Anything made so as to form alternate squares like those of a checkerboard.
cheerless adjective Without joy, gladness, or comfort.
cheeselep noun A bag in which rennet is kept.
chelicera noun One of the anterior pair of mouth organs, terminated by a pincherlike claw, in scorpions and allied Arachnida. They are homologous with the falcers of spiders, and probably with the mandibles of insects.
cheliform adjective Having a movable joint or finger closing against a preceding joint or a projecting part of it, so that the whole may be used for grasping, as the claw of a crab; pincherlike.
chelonian adjective Of or pertaining to animals of the tortoise kind., One of the Chelonia.
chemiloon noun A garment for women, consisting of chemise and drawers united in one.
chemistry noun That branch of science which treats of the composition of substances, and of the changes which they undergo in consequence of alterations in the constitution of the molecules, which depend upon variations of the number, kind, or mode of arrangement, of the constituent atoms. These atoms are not assumed to be indivisible, but merely the finest grade of subdivision hitherto attained. Chemistry deals with the changes in the composition and constitution of molecules. See Atom, Molecule., An application of chemical theory and method to the consideration of some particular subject; as, the chemistry of iron; the chemistry of indigo., A treatise on chemistry.
chemitype noun One of a number of processes by which an impression from an engraved plate is obtained in relief, to be used for printing on an ordinary printing press.
cherished imp. & past participle of Cherish
cherising present participle & vb. noun of Cherish
cherisher noun One who cherishes.
cherogril noun See Cony.
cherokees noun pl. An Appalachian tribe of Indians, formerly inhabiting the region about the head waters of the Tennessee River. They are now mostly settled in the Indian Territory, and have become one of the most civilized of the Indian Tribes.
chesstree noun A piece of oak bolted perpendicularly on the side of a vessel, to aid in drawing down and securing the clew of the mainsail.
chevachie noun See Chivachie.
chevalier noun A horseman; a knight; a gallant young man., A member of certain orders of knighthood.
chevelure noun A hairlike envelope.
chevrette noun A machine for raising guns or mortar into their carriages.
chevroned p. adjective Having a chevron; decorated with an ornamental figure of a zigzag from.
chevronel noun A bearing like a chevron, but of only half its width.
cheyennes noun pl. A warlike tribe of indians, related to the blackfeet, formerly inhabiting the region of Wyoming, but now mostly on reservations in the Indian Territory. They are noted for their horsemanship.
chibouque noun Alt. of Chibouk
chicanery noun Mean or unfair artifice to perplex a cause and obscure the truth; stratagem; sharp practice; sophistry.
chichling noun Alt. of Chichling vetch
chickadee noun A small bird, the blackcap titmouse (Parus atricapillus), of North America; — named from its note.
chickaree noun The American red squirrel (Sciurus Hudsonius); — so called from its cry.
chickling noun A small chick or chicken.
chick-pea noun A Small leguminous plant (Cicer arietinum) of Asia, Africa, and the south of Europe; the chich; the dwarf pea; the gram., Its nutritious seed, used in cookery, and especially, when roasted (parched pulse), as food for travelers in the Eastern deserts.
chickweed noun The name of several caryophyllaceous weeds, especially Stellaria media, the seeds and flower buds of which are a favorite food of small birds.
chideress noun She who chides.
chidester noun A female scold.
chidingly adverb In a chiding or reproving manner.
chiefless adjective Without a chief or leader.
chieftain noun A captain, leader, or commander; a chief; the head of a troop, army, or clan.
chievance noun An unlawful bargain; traffic in which money is exported as discount.
chilblain noun A blain, sore, or inflammatory swelling, produced by exposure of the feet or hands to cold, and attended by itching, pain, and sometimes ulceration., To produce chilblains upon.
childhood noun The state of being a child; the time in which persons are children; the condition or time from infancy to puberty., Children, taken collectively., The commencement; the first period.
childlike adjective Resembling a child, or that which belongs to children; becoming a child; meek; submissive; dutiful.
childness noun The manner characteristic of a child.
childship noun The state or relation of being a child.
chiliagon noun A plane figure of a thousand angles and sides.
chiliarch noun The commander or chief of a thousand men.
chillness noun Coolness; coldness; a chill.
chilopoda noun pl. One of the orders of myriapods, including the centipeds. They have a single pair of elongated legs attached laterally to each segment; well developed jaws; and a pair of thoracic legs converted into poison fangs. They are insectivorous, very active, and some species grow to the length of a foot.
chiminage noun A toll for passage through a forest.
chincapin noun See Chinquapin.
chinchona Alt. of Chincona
chinoline noun See Quinoline.
chioppine noun Same as Chopine, n.
chirology noun The art or practice of using the manual alphabet or of communicating thoughts by sings made by the hands and fingers; a substitute for spoken or written language in intercourse with the deaf and dumb. See Dactylalogy.
chironomy noun The art of moving the hands in oratory or in pantomime; gesture
chiropody noun The art of treating diseases of the hands and feet.
chirruped imp. & past participle of Chirrup
chirurgic adjective Alt. of Chirurgical
chiselled of Chisel
chiseling present participle & vb. noun of Chisel
chitinous adjective Having the nature of chitin; consisting of, or containing, chitin.
chivachie noun A cavalry raid; hence, a military expedition.
chivalric adjective Relating to chivalry; knightly; chivalrous.
chlamyses plural of Chlamys
chlamydes plural of Chlamys
chloralum noun An impure aqueous solution of chloride of aluminium, used as an antiseptic and disinfectant.
chloranil noun A yellow crystalline substance, C6Cl4.O2, regarded as a derivative of quinone, obtained by the action of chlorine on certain benzene derivatives, as aniline.
chloridic adjective Of or pertaining to a chloride; containing a chloride.
chloritic adjective Pertaining to, or containing, chlorite; as, chloritic sand.
chloropal noun A massive mineral, greenish in color, and opal-like in appearance. It is essentially a hydrous silicate of iron.
chlorosis noun The green sickness; an anaemic disease of young women, characterized by a greenish or grayish yellow hue of the skin, weakness, palpitation, etc., A disease in plants, causing the flowers to turn green or the leaves to lose their normal green color.
chlorotic adjective Pertaining to, or affected by, chlorosis.
chloruret noun A chloride.
chocolate noun A paste or cake composed of the roasted seeds of the Theobroma Cacao ground and mixed with other ingredients, usually sugar, and cinnamon or vanilla., The beverage made by dissolving a portion of the paste or cake in boiling water or milk.
choiceful adjective Making choices; fickle.
cholaemaa noun A disease characterized by severe nervous symptoms, dependent upon the presence of the constituents of the bile in the blood.
choleraic adjective Relating to, or resulting from, or resembling, cholera.
cholerine noun The precursory symptoms of cholera., The first stage of epidemic cholera., A mild form of cholera.
choleroid adjective Choleriform.
chondrify verb t. & i. To convert, or be converted, into cartilage.
chondrite noun A meteoric stone characterized by the presence of chondrules.
chondroid adjective Resembling cartilage.
chondroma noun A cartilaginous tumor or growth.
chondrule noun A peculiar rounded granule of some mineral, usually enstatite or chrysolite, found imbedded more or less abundantly in the mass of many meteoric stones, which are hence called chondrites.
chophouse noun A house where chops, etc., are sold; an eating house., A customhouse where transit duties are levied.
chopstick noun One of two small sticks of wood, ivory, etc., used by the Chinese and Japanese to convey food to the mouth.
choralist noun A singer or composer of chorals.
choriambs plural of Choriamb
choriambi plural of Choriambus
chorister noun One of a choir; a singer in a chorus., One who leads a choir in church music.
choristic adjective Choric; choral.
choroidal adjective Pertaining to the choroid coat.
chorology noun The science which treats of the laws of distribution of living organisms over the earth’s surface as to latitude, altitude, locality, etc.
chorusing present participle & vb. noun of Chorus
choy root See Chay root.
christian noun One who believes, or professes or is assumed to believe, in Jesus Christ, and the truth as taught by Him; especially, one whose inward and outward life is conformed to the doctrines of Christ., One born in a Christian country or of Christian parents, and who has not definitely becomes an adherent of an opposing system., One of a Christian denomination which rejects human creeds as bases of fellowship, and sectarian names. They are congregational in church government, and baptize by immersion. They are also called Disciples of Christ, and Campbellites., One of a sect (called Christian Connection) of open-communion immersionists. The Bible is their only authoritative rule of faith and practice., Pertaining to Christ or his religion; as, Christian people., Pertaining to the church; ecclesiastical; as, a Christian court., Characteristic of Christian people; civilized; kind; kindly; gentle; beneficent.
christmas noun An annual church festival (December 25) and in some States a legal holiday, in memory of the birth of Christ, often celebrated by a particular church service, and also by special gifts, greetings, and hospitality.
chromatic adjective Relating to color, or to colors., Proceeding by the smaller intervals (half steps or semitones) of the scale, instead of the regular intervals of the diatonic scale.
chromatin noun Tissue which is capable of being stained by dyes.
chromogen Vegetable coloring matter other than green; chromule., Any colored compound, supposed to contain one or more chromophores.
chronical adjective Chronic.
chronicle noun An historical register or account of facts or events disposed in the order of time., A narrative of events; a history; a record., The two canonical books of the Old Testament in which immediately follow 2 Kings., To record in a history or chronicle; to record; to register.
chronique noun A chronicle.
chrysalid adjective Pertaining to a chrysalis; resembling a chrysalis., See Chrysalis.
chrysalis noun The pupa state of certain insects, esp. of butterflies, from which the perfect insect emerges. See Pupa, and Aurelia (a).
chrysogen noun A yellow crystalline substance extracted from crude anthracene.
chuckling present participle & vb. noun of Chuckle
churching present participle & vb. noun of Church
churchdom noun The institution, government, or authority of a church.
churchism noun Strict adherence to the forms or principles of some church organization; sectarianism.
churchmen plural of Churchman
churchman noun An ecclesiastic or clergyman., An Episcopalian, or a member of the Established Church of England., One was is attached to, or attends, church.
churrworm noun An insect that turns about nimbly; the mole cricket; — called also fan cricket.
chymistry See Chemic, Chemist, Chemistry.
chyometer noun An instrument for measuring liquids. It consists of a piston moving in a tube in which is contained the liquid, the quantity expelled being indicated by the graduation upon the piston rod.