chai

Etymology 1

noun

1. A female gypsy.
   Coordinate term: chal

Etymology 2

From Hindustani चाय / چائے (cāy), from Persian چای (and Turkish çay, and cognates) from Sinitic 茶 (chá). Doublet of tea; see that page for extended history.

noun

1. Ellipsis of masala chai, a beverage made with black teas, steamed milk and sweet spices, based loosely on Indian recipes.

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Hebrew חַי (kháy, “alive”).

noun

1. (Judaism) A Jewish symbol representing life, traditionally worn as an amulet.
   Nothing hangs on the walls, though a stained-glass Hebrew chai leans against the window. 1995-05-21, Steven Levy, “The Unabomber and David Gelernter”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
   Today, he [Drake] wears a diamond-studded Chai, a symbol of the Jewish word for life, and has his mother pressuring him to marry "a nice Jewish girl," according to Heeb magazine. 2011-02-18, Mark Marino, “Kosher beef between two rappers”, in CNN, archived from the original on 2023-02-01

Etymology 4

Borrowed from French chai, from Occitan.

noun

1. (winemaking) A place above ground for storing wine casks.
   The Kanon era lasted a mere 10 years, yet he had the château constructed, invested substantially in the vineyard and chais, and established the wine as one of the leading labels in the area. 2004, Clive Coates, The Wines of Bordeaux, University of California Press, page 302