Chink was the

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

of some athletes or military figures, predominantly American in the early 20th century. It is often adjudged to be a reference to someone's appearance. The nickname is an ethnic slur originally referring to a person of Chinese descent. However, not all uses of the nickname were derived in that manner: basketball player Chink Crossin received the nickname as an

onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as ''oink'', ''m ...

for the sound that chain basketball nets (sometimes used on outdoor basketball courts) make when a shot goes through (similar to the term "swish" used for cloth nets), and British Army officer

Eric Dorman-Smith Brigadier Eric Edward "Chink" Dorman-Smith (24 July 1895 – 11 May 1969), who later changed his name to Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan, was an Irish officer whose career in the British Army began in the First World War and closed at the end of the ...

was given the nickname due to his resemblance to a

Chinkara The chinkara (''Gazella bennettii''), also known as the Indian gazelle, is a gazelle species native to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Taxonomy The following six subspecies are considered valid: * Deccan chinkara (''G. b. bennettii'') ...

antelope. Notable persons with the nickname include: * Chink Alterman (1922–2009), American professional basketball player * Chink Crossin (1923–1981), American professional basketball player *

(1895–1969), Irish officer in the British Army and the Irish Republican Army * John Heileman (1872–1940), American Major League Baseball player in 1901 * Bankson T. Holcomb Jr. (1908–2000), United States Marine Corps brigadier general * William O. Lowe (1894–1949), American college football player, lawyer, and Republican political figure in Tennessee * Chink Outen (1905–1961), American Major League Baseball player in 1933 * Chink Taylor (1898–1980), American Major League Baseball player in 1925 *

Albert Zachary Albert Myron "Chink" Zachary (born Albert Myron Zarski; May 14, 1914 – June 24, 2006) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in four games (two of them starts) in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers during the 194 ...

(1914–2006), American Major League Baseball pitcher in 1944

See also