noun
Common
chi
keye
Chi (noun) means the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, written Χ, χ. Example: “In maths class we wrote the Greek letter chi on the board.”
noun
1
The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, written Χ, χ.
"In maths class we wrote the Greek letter chi on the board."
"The symbol chi looks like the letter X."
"Physicists sometimes use chi to label an unknown angle or variable."
2
In Chinese philosophy and traditional medicine, the vital life-energy said to flow through the body (also spelled qi).
"The instructor taught us to breathe slowly and let our chi flow."
"Tai chi practitioners say the slow movements help balance your chi."
"Acupuncturists claim to unblock stagnant chi along the body's meridians."
How to use chi
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the Greek letter X, or (in a completely separate, Chinese-derived sense) the life-force energy talked about in tai chi and traditional medicine.
Common mistake
The Greek-letter sense and the Chinese life-energy sense are unrelated words that just happen to be spelled the same in English.
Common pairings
tai chi
chi energy
the letter chi
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Word forms
- Plural
- chis
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
In maths class we wrote the Greek letter _____ on the board.
Etymology
From Latin chī, taken from Ancient Greek χεῖ (kheî), the name of the letter Χ.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What does “chi” mean?
The word “chi” means the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, written Χ, χ. In plain terms, either the Greek letter X, or (in a completely separate, Chinese-derived sense) the life-force energy talked about in tai chi and traditional medicine.
How do you pronounce “chi”?
“Chi” is pronounced keye (/kaɪ/ in IPA).
How do you use “chi” in a sentence?
Here is “chi” used in a sentence: “The symbol chi looks like the letter X.”
What is another word for “chi”?
Words with a similar meaning to “chi” include Taiwanese foot, Hong Kong foot and chek.
What part of speech is “chi”?
“Chi” is a noun.
Where does the word “chi” come from?
The word “chi” comes from Ancient Greek. From Latin chī, taken from Ancient Greek χεῖ (kheî), the name of the letter Χ.
Is “chi” a common word?
“Chi” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “chi” have?
“Chi” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, written Χ, χ.
What is the difference between chi and qi?
Chi and qi are two English spellings of the same Chinese concept of vital life-energy flowing through the body. 'Qi' follows the modern Pinyin romanization system, while 'chi' comes from the older Wade-Giles system, so both refer to exactly the same idea.
Is the chi in tai chi the same as the life-energy chi?
Not exactly. Although both are spelled 'chi' in English, the 'chi' in tai chi comes from a different Chinese word (part of 'taiji', roughly 'supreme ultimate') than the 'chi' meaning life-energy. Tai chi is often practised to cultivate that life-energy, but the two words are distinct in Chinese.
What is the difference between chi the Greek letter and chi the life-energy?
These are unrelated meanings that happen to share the English spelling. One is the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, written Χ or χ, while the other is the vital energy of Chinese philosophy and medicine, also spelled qi.
How is the Greek letter chi used in maths and science?
The Greek letter chi (χ) is best known in statistics from the chi-squared test, written χ², which measures how far observed results differ from expected ones. It also appears in various scientific formulas as a standard variable symbol.
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