chinstrap
UK[ˈtʃɪnstræp]US[ˈtʃɪnstræp]
n
A strap that fastens under a person's chin, especially one on a helmet or hat to secure it.
n
A small penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) with a distinctive narrow black band under its head.
Morpheme Breakdown
chin
strap
chin
strap
Etymology
The word 'chinstrap' is a transparent Modern English compound, formed by directly combining two native and borrowed elements. 'Chin' descends from the Old English cinn, a word of Germanic origin related to the Proto-Indo-European root genu- meaning "jaw, chin." 'Strap' entered English via Old French and Latin, ultimately from the Greek strophos meaning "a twisted band," from strephein "to twist." The compound logically describes the object's function: a strap designed to go under or around the chin. Its application expanded metaphorically in zoology to name a penguin species, due to the visual resemblance of its black neck marking to a strap fastened under its bill.
Analysis
Structure: chin + strap
- chin (Old English: cin, cinn): The part of the face below the mouth; the front of the lower jaw. Functional role: The body part the object is designed for.
- strap (variant of strop, from Old English: stropp, from Latin: stroppus): A narrow strip of flexible material, especially leather, for fastening or holding things together. Functional role: The object itself, a fastening device.
Examples
The football player tightened his chinstrap before the play.
Make sure the chinstrap on your cycling helmet is snug but comfortable.
We saw a colony of chinstrap penguins during the Antarctic expedition.