chequeen, chequin arch.
(tʃɪˈkiːn)
Forms: 6 checkyn, chikino, (sechino), chekin, 7 chickin, -een(e, -en, chechin, cecchine, chiquiney, -ie, chicquin, checqine, chekeen, 7–8 chequin, chequeen, 8 shekin. See also sequin, zecchin.
[ad. It. zecchino (tsekˈkino), (tʃ) being the nearest Eng. sound to (ts); f. zecca the mint at Venice.
(This is the most thoroughly English form of the word, which is now however usually written in its French form sequin, although the old pronunciation has long survived the spelling.)]
A gold coin of Italy and Turkey, worth from about 7s. to 9s. 6d. in English money; a sequin.
| 1583 Cæsar Frederici in Hakluyt II. 343 (Y.) Chickinos which be pieces of Golde woorth seuen shillings a piece sterling. 1589 T. Sanders Unfort. Voy. Tripoli in Arb. Garner II. 14 To lend him 100 chikinos. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. i. 152 Euery man a chekin, which is seuen shillings and two pence sterling. 1601 W. Parry Trav. Sir A. Sherley 30 Feeing her with two chickins. 1605 B. Jonson Volpone i. iii. (1616) 457 When euery word..is a cecchine! 1608 Shakes. Per. iv. ii. 28 Three or four thousand Chickeens [mod. ed. chequins]. 1611 Coryat Crudities 191 Chests..full of chiquineys. 1611 Chapman May Day Plays 1873 II. 340 Half a chickeene to cut's throat. 1632 Brome Novella i. ii. Wks. 1873 I. 113 Here's a thousand checqines. 1653 Greaves Seraglio 91 Six hundred thousand chicquins yearly. 1655 Massinger Very Woman iii. i, Fifty chekeens, Sir. 1682 Wheler Journ. Greece vi. 413 This Convent payeth but one Chequin. 1703 Maundrell Journ. Jerus. (1721) 91 Presenting the Guardian with two Chequeens a piece. 1773 Gentl. Mag. XLIII. 249 A body of Jews..tendered, as usual, 1000 shekins. 1794 Nelson in Nicolas Disp. (ed. 2) I. 350 No objection to take your money..14000 chequins, 7000l. sterling. |