Chantage, shan-täj′, chant′āj, n. extortion of money by threats of scandalous revelations. [Fr.]
Chanterelle, shan-ter-el′, n. the highest string of the violin, &c.: a yellowish edible mushroom. [Fr.]
Chanticleer, chant′i-klēr, n. a cock. [From the name of the cock in the old beast-epic of Reynard the Fox.] [O. Fr. chanter, to sing, cler, clear.]
Chaos, kā′os, n. shapeless mass: disorder: the state of matter before it was reduced to order by the Creator.—adj. Chaot′ic, confused.—adv. Chaot′ically. [Gr.]
Chap, chap, v.i. to crack: to strike, of a clock, &c.: to knock at a door.—v.t. to fissure.—n. crack: an open fissure in the skin, caused by exposure to frost: a knock.—adj. Chap′less.—p.adj. Chapped, cracked, of a heavy soil in dry weather, or of the skin in frost: cut short.—adj. Chap′py. [M. E. chappen; cog. with Dut. and Ger. kappen.]
Chap, chap, n. a fellow, originally a customer, from Chapman.—n. Chap′pie, a familiar diminutive.
Chap, chap, n. generally pl. the jaws.—adj. Chap′fall′en, a variant of Chop-fallen (q.v.). [Northern Eng. and Scot. chafts—Scand., as Ice. kjaptr, the jaw.]
Chaparral, chap-a-ral′, n. dense tangled brushwood. [Sp., prob. Basque achaparra.]
Chap-book. See Chapman.
Chape, chāp, n. the plate of metal at the point of a scabbard: the catch or hook by which the sheath of a weapon was attached to the belt.—adj. Chape′less. [Fr.,—Low L. capa, a cap.]