Chink was the

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

of some athletes or military figures, predominantly American in the early 20th century. It is often adjudged to be a reference to someone's appearance. The nickname is an ethnic slur originally referring to a person of Chinese descent. However, not all uses of the nickname were derived in that manner: basketball player

Chink Crossin Francis Patrick "Chink" Crossin Jr. (July 4, 1923 – January 10, 1981) was an American professional basketball player and coach.onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia (or rarely echoism) is a type of word, or the process of creating a word, that phonetics, phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Common onomatopoeias in English include animal noises such as Oin ...

for the sound that chain basketball nets (sometimes used on outdoor basketball courts) make when a shot goes through (similar to the term "swish" used for cloth nets), and British Army officer

Eric Dorman-Smith Brigadier Eric Edward "Chink" Dorman-Smith (24 July 1895 – 11 May 1969), who later changed his name to Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan, was an Irish officer whose career in the British Army began in the First World War and closed at the end of the ...

was given the nickname due to his resemblance to a

Chinkara The chinkara (''Gazella bennettii''), also known as the Indian gazelle, is a gazelle species native to India, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Taxonomy The following six subspecies are considered valid: * Deccan chinkara (''G. b. bennettii'') ...

antelope. Notable persons with the nickname include: *

Chink Alterman Leonard "Chink" Alterman (March 8, 1922 – February 6, 2009) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball League and averaged 3.9 points per game. He served in the United States Arm ...

(1922–2009), American professional basketball player *

Chink Crossin Francis Patrick "Chink" Crossin Jr. (July 4, 1923 – January 10, 1981) was an American professional basketball player and coach.Eric Dorman-Smith Brigadier Eric Edward "Chink" Dorman-Smith (24 July 1895 – 11 May 1969), who later changed his name to Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan, was an Irish officer whose career in the British Army began in the First World War and closed at the end of the ...

(1895–1969), Irish officer in the British Army and the Irish Republican Army *

John Heileman John George Heileman (August 10, 1872 – July 19, 1940) was an American professional baseball infielder. He played briefly in Major League Baseball for the 1901 Cincinnati Reds. He was erroneously known as Chink Heileman. Biography Heileman ...

(1872–1940), American Major League Baseball player in 1901 * Bankson T. Holcomb Jr. (1908–2000), United States Marine Corps brigadier general * William O. Lowe (1894–1949), American college football player, lawyer, and Republican political figure in Tennessee *

Chink Outen William Austin "Chink" Outen (June 17, 1905September 11, 1961) was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1933, appearing in 93 games. Listed at and , he threw right-handed and ...

(1905–1961), American Major League Baseball player in 1933 *

Chink Taylor C. L. "Chink" Taylor (February 9, 1898 – July 7, 1980) was an American professional baseball outfielder during the 1920s. He played in eight games for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball in 1925. Taylor played in the minor leagues from 1 ...

(1898–1980), American Major League Baseball player in 1925 * Albert Zachary (1914–2006), American Major League Baseball pitcher in 1944

See also