Dictionary

chai en · NOUN · etymology 1

Etymology

Borrowed from Romani ćhaj (“Romani girl, daughter”).

Meanings

1. A female Romani.

Forms

Coordinates

chal

chai en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• chī
• /t͡ʃaɪ/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Hindustani चाय / چائے (cāy, “tea”), from Classical Persian چَای (čāy) (and Turkish çay, and cognates) from Sinitic 茶 (chá). Doublet of cha and tea; see that page for extended history.

Meanings

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable, usually) Ellipsis of masala chai, a beverage made with black teas, steamed milk and sweet spices, based loosely on Indian recipes.
   alt of masala chai
   • ‘So much for making chai,ʼ she teases, but lets him do the rest of the work. He adds the tea leaves to the boiling milk, then strains the liquid into cups. 2023, Santanu Bhattacharya, One Small Voice, Fig Tree, page 350:
2. (India, uncountable, usually) Any tea beverage, but especially milk tea, regardless of whether it is spiced.
   • Everyone has a personal preference when it comes to chai - some people do not like any spices in their chai (just plain milk, water and tea) while others (like me!) cannot have their chai without spices. 2018 October 9, Manali Singh, Vegetarian Indian Cooking with Your Instant Pot: 75 Traditional Recipes That Are Easier, Quicker and Healthier, Page Street Publishing, →ISBN:
   • We were drinking some chai — the ashram version — watered down, boring, no spices, lots of water, just a smidgen of tea and even less milk. 2010 November 1, Jovan Jones, Dancing with the Avatar, Destiny Image Publishers, →ISBN:
   • I fix myself a cup of chai - slightly strong black tea with just a touch of hot milk and no spices... the kind that Babuji would have liked on a morning like this — and sipping my chai, I walk barefoot on the moist grass in the backyard 2016 July 1, Naeem Inayatullah, Elizabeth Dauphinee, Narrative Global Politics: Theory, History and the Personal in International Relations, Routledge, →ISBN, page 182:

Forms

Deriveds

chaiwallah · chaitini · dirty chai

Relateds

chai latte · cha · masala chai

Synonyms

chai tea · masala chai · chai latte

chai en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /xaɪ/

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew חַי (kháy, “alive”).

Meanings

1. (Judaism) A Jewish symbol representing life, traditionally worn as an amulet.
   • Nothing hangs on the walls, though a stained-glass Hebrew chai leans against the window. 1995 May 21, Steven Levy, “The Unabomber and David Gelernter”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 06 Nov 2020:
   • Today, he [Drake] wears a diamond-studded Chai, a symbol of the Jewish word for life, and has his mother pressuring him to marry "a nice Jewish girl," according to Heeb magazine. 2011 February 18, Mark Marino, “Kosher beef between two rappers”, in CNN, archived from the original on 01 Feb 2023:
   • Here in France, anti-Semitism is on the rise, and many Jews are hiding their identity in public so as not to be harmed. From what I hear and read, men and women are hiding their jewelry such as the Star of David or Chai, they do not speak about Israel loudly in the street, or men hide their kippah with a hat. 2024, David Golinkin, quoting David Touboul, “Are Thee Ways Of Hidinng A Mezuzah In Times Of Danger?”, in Responsa in a Moment, volume 4, page 207:

Forms

chai en · NOUN · etymology 4

Pronunciation

• /ʃɛ/

Etymology

Borrowed from French chai, from Occitan.

Meanings

1. A place above ground for storing wine casks.
   • The Kanon era lasted a mere 10 years, yet he had the château constructed, invested substantially in the vineyard and chais, and established the wine as one of the leading labels in the area. 2004, Clive Coates, The Wines of Bordeaux, University of California Press, →ISBN, page 302:

Forms

chai en · NOUN · etymology 5

Etymology

From Russian чай (čaj, “tea”). Doublet of cha and tea.

Meanings

1. (rare, uncountable) Russian tea.
   • A reader can imagine sitting at Walter’s kitchen table, a cup of chai (Russian tea) at hand, listening to the white-haired gentleman recalling events. 2004 September 9, Shana Loshbaugh, “Entertaining saga stars Ninilchik elder”, in Homer News, volume 31, number 37, Homer, Alas., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 23A, column 3:
   • But our team leader informed us that we were headed to the orphanage for chai (Russian tea). 2010, Charlynn Johns, “New Borders on the Map”, in A Good Reason to Go: Confessions, Conclusions and One-Sided Conversations, [Morrisville, N.C.]: [Lulu.com], →ISBN, page 139:
   • They say in New York that the aristocracy of the Back Bay can talk nothing but Tolstoi and drink nothing but chai (Russian tea). 1887 November 27, “Table Gossip”, in The Boston Sunday Globe, volume XXXII, number 150, Boston, Mass., →OCLC, page 13, column 4:

Relateds

chai poh