noun
qin
cheen
noun
1
A traditional Chinese plucked string instrument, most often the seven-stringed guqin.
"She played a slow, meditative piece on the qin."
2
The short-lived dynasty that first unified China, ruling from 221 to 207 BC.
"The Qin dynasty gave China its name and built the first version of the Great Wall."
How to Use Qin
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the classical Chinese stringed instrument or the ancient dynasty that unified China.
Word Forms
qins plural, Qins plural
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Etymology
From Mandarin Qín, rendered using the Hanyu Pinyin romanization system; the instrument and the dynasty are unrelated words that happen to romanize the same way.