Qin. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

Qin

PRONUNCIATION:	chn
VARIANT FORMS:	also Ch'in
	A Chinese dynasty (221–206 b.c.) that established the first centralized imperial government in China. Much of the Great Wall of China was built during the rule of this dynasty.
ETYMOLOGY:	Chinese (Mandarin) Qín, after Qín, alternate name for Shanxi Province.


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.