Chiton

Pronunciation

• GenAm IPA: /ˈkaɪtÉ‘n/
• RP IPA: /ˈkaɪtÉ’n/

From Ancient Greek χιτών (khitōn, "tunic"), from a Central Semitic *kittan, from the Akkadian (kitû)
(kita’um, "flax", "linen"), from Sumerian (gada)
(gida).

Full definition of chiton

Noun

1. A loose, woolen tunic, worn by both men and women in Ancient Greece.
• 1992, Donna Tartt, The Secret History,On the night of our first attempt, we simply overdrank and passed out in our chitons in the woods near Francis’s house.
• 1998, Colette Susan Czapski, NM238: A Hellenistic Statue and Its Archaistic Support, Kim J. Hartswick, Mary Carol Sturgeon (editors), Stephanos: Studies in Honor of Brunilde Sismondo Ridgway, page 53,She wears a diaphanous himation that covers her torso, over a floor-length chiton of heavier fabric.
• 2002, Nikolaos Kaltsas (editor), Sculpture in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens, page 156,She wears a chiton and himation, using both hands to hold the edge of the latter, in which she has gathered apples.

Coordinate terms

From New Latin chiton. See above.

Noun

1. Any of various rock-clinging marine molluscs of the class Polyplacophora, including the genus Chiton.
• 1969, Sam Hinton, Seashore Life of Southern California, page 72,In the giant chiton, Cryptochiton, this girdle has expanded so as to completely cover the plates.
• 1979, R. McNeill Alexander, The Invertebrates, page 295,The chiton (Fig. 14.1 a) is depressed (dorso-ventrally flattened), with a large foot which has a flat sole.
• 1996, Paul Henson, The Natural History of Big Sur, page 70,The bright orange gumboot chiton (Cryptochiton stelleri) is the largest in the world.

Synonyms

• (mollusc) coat-of-mail shell, loricate, polyplacophoran, polyplacophore, sea cradle

Anagrams

• ONCHIT