Also 4 chimbe, 6 chyme, 9 chimb. [ME. chimb(e: cf. OE. ‘cimstanas bases of a pillar’ alleged by Somner. Also Du. kim, MDu. kimme (*kembe, *kemme, Flem. kemme) fem., edge of a cask, MLG. kimme fem., kimm masc., mod.G. kimme, edge, border (kimmwasser bilge-water); which appear to point to a WGer. *kimma or *kimba fem. App. related is OE. cimbing, explained as ‘commissura,’ ? joining, jointing; cf. Ger. kimmung horizon, mirage, kimmen to notch, provide with a ‘chimb.’ The general sense appears to be ‘edge.’ In late use the word is often altered to CHINE.]
1. The projecting rim at the ends of a cask, formed by the ends of the staves. (Also applied loosely by coopers to the staves themselves; quot. 1580 takes it as the ‘head’ of a cask.)
[a. 800. Erfurt Gloss., 291. Commissuras, cimbing. Ibid., Corpus Gloss., 554. Commisura, cimbing.
a. 1000. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 206. Commisura, s. dicitur tabularum coniunctio, ʓefeʓ, cimbing, clut, uel flihteclaþ.]
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s Prol., 41. Almoost al empty is the tonne. The streem of lyf now droppeth on the chymbe [2 MSS. chimbe].
1513. Bk. Keruynge, in Babees Bk., 266. Whan ye sette a pype on broche … set it foure fynger brede aboue ye nether chyme.
1671. Skinner, Chimb, the Vttermost part of a Barrell.
1721. Urry, Gloss. Chaucer, Chimbe, the Rim of a Cooper’s Vessel on the outside of the Head. The end of the Staves from the Grooves outward are called the Chimes.
1755. Johnson, Chimb, the end of a barrel or tub.
1830. M. Donovan, Dom. Econ., I. 207. A cock is to be fixed in one of the staves, about an inch above the bottom chimb.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxv. 79. A false deck, which was rough and oily, and cut up in every direction by the chimes of oil-casks.
1881. Leicestersh. Gloss. (E. D. S.), Chime (pron. choime), a stave of a cask, barrel, &c.
1888. Pall Mall Gaz., 11 Sept., 5/1. Seated on the edge of the canoe, which was almost as sharp as the chime of a cask.
2. ‘That part of the water-way [plank which connects the sides of a ship to the deck] which is left the thickest, so as to project above the deck-plank, and is notched or gouged hollow in front, to let the water run free’ (Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., s.v. Chine, to which he refers chime). [So Ger. kimme ‘am schiffe der äuszere rand,’ Hildebrand.]
