chikan

See also: Chikan

English

Etymology 1

From Japanese 痴漢.

Noun

chikan (plural chikan or chikans)

1. (in Japan) Any act of public molestation or offense, usually of a sexual nature, against unsuspecting victims.
2. (in Japan) A person, usually a man, who rubs against or gropes others, usually women, in crowds, often in trains, to attain sexual pleasure.

Usage notes

Most users italicize this word, indicating that it is usually considered a Japanese word. However, its unitalicized use and the use of the plural form "chickans" indicate that it is making the transition from a quoted foreign word to a borrowed English word.

Etymology 2

From Hindi चिकन (cikan).

Noun

chikan (countable and uncountable, plural chikans)

1. (uncountable) A form of Indian cotton embroidery that is associated with the Lucknow area.
   • 1885, Official Report of the Calcutta International Exhibition, page 34:

     A collection of Calcutta chikan-work. Sent by Patna Chikanwala and Sons of Taltala, Calcutta

   • 1999, Clare M. Wilkinson-Weber, Embroidering Lives: Women's Work and Skill in the Lucknow Embroidery Industry:

     For many reasons, certain chikan stitches are not stem stiches or satin stitches —not even the technique is commensurate.

   • 2004, Travel House Guide To Incredible India, page 74:

     In most markets, you will find amazing varieties in which chikan can be used: in bedspreads, napkins, curtains, cushion covers, besides sarees

   • 2010, Neel Mani Prasad Verma, I. C. Awasthi, Contractual Employment in Indian Labour Market: Emergence and Expansion, page 327:

     Dhaka was an important centre of chikan craft. It is said that Jahangir brought this craft to Lucknow and later it was whole-heartedly adopted by the Nawabs of Lucknow, thus it became a part of the culture of Lucknow.

   • 2011, Subhadra Sen Gupta, The Secret Diary of the World's Worst Cook:

     You know I help women who do the chikan embroidery work?

2. (countable) An item (such as a sari, bedspread, cushion cover, etc) that is made with chikan embroidery.
   • 1967, Traveller in India - Volume 11, page 31:

     More and more people in India and abroad are getting familiar with the exquisite embroidered chikans of Lucknow, embroidered by the delicate and clever fingers of about 4000 ladies in and around the old city.

   • 2003, Usha K. R., The Chosen, page 231:

     Hetal's family sends her suitcasefuls of exquisite Lucknow chikans, all in white.

   • 2008, Mukul Kesavan, Looking Through Glass, page 324:

     That's why he wanted Ammi and Asharfi to sell the house and join him in Delhi, away from the nose-picking, Ganj-strolling, chikan-wearing, coffee-drinking habits of a lifetime.

Anagrams

• Kachin

Japanese

Romanization

chikan

1. Rōmaji transcription of ちかん