What does chine mean?
A chine is a joint of meat cut from the carcass together with its backbone — most often the loin of pork, lamb, or beef left on the bone for roasting. Butchers use the term to describe both the cut itself and, more generally, the animal's spine where it meets the meat, since the vertebrae help flavour the joint and make carving easier at the table. The word belongs mainly to British English and to the vocabulary of traditional butchery and cookery: recipes for 'chine of pork' appear in classic English cooking, and the term survives in farmhouse kitchens more than in supermarkets. Beyond the kitchen, in parts of southern England — especially the Isle of Wight — a 'chine' is a narrow ravine cut by a stream as it reaches the sea, giving place-names such as Blackgang Chine. Both senses descend from Old French eschine, meaning backbone. Though now somewhat specialised and old-fashioned, chine remains useful for anyone reading historic recipes, ordering from a traditional butcher, or exploring Britain's chalk coastline.
A cut of meat containing part of the backbone, especially from the loin of a pig, lamb, or ox, typically roasted on the bone.
"The recipe called for a chine of pork roasted slowly with apples and cider."
Mostly found in British English and traditional butchery or cookery writing.
The backbone or spine of an animal, particularly when considered as part of a carcass.
"The butcher split the chine cleanly down the middle before hanging the carcass."
In southern English dialect, especially the Isle of Wight, a steep-sided ravine or gorge formed by a stream cutting down to the sea.
"Blackgang Chine is one of the best-known chines on the Isle of Wight's coast."
Standard plural, used both for multiple cuts of meat and for multiple ravines (especially on the Isle of Wight).
"The island's southern coast is famous for its chines, deep wooded gorges carved by streams."
On England's Isle of Wight, 'chines' are dramatic coastal ravines carved by streams through soft cliffs — the same word that names your Sunday roast's backbone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chine
Chine entered Middle English around the 14th century from Anglo-Norman French, deriving ultimately from Old French eschine ('backbone'), which itself traces back to a Germanic root related to the word 'shin'. The original sense was the backbone or spine, and by extension the meat attached to it, a meaning still current in British butchery. The Isle of Wight sense referring to a ravine developed separately within English dialect, likely influenced by the notion of a cleft or notch resembling a notched spine.
Related word forms
How chine is actually used
'Chine' is chiefly used in British English and in culinary or butchery registers; it is uncommon in everyday American speech, where the same cuts are usually described as loin, rack, or saddle. In southern English coastal dialects, notably on the Isle of Wight, 'chine' also denotes a steep ravine or gorge running down to the sea, though this sense is regional and largely topographic.
Easily confused with chine
Shine means to give off or reflect light, while chine refers to a cut of meat with the backbone or the spine itself — they rhyme but share nothing else.