yin

\ ˈyin

How to pronounce yin (audio)

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Definition of yin

: the feminine passive principle in nature that in Chinese cosmology is exhibited in darkness, cold, or wetness and that combines with yang to produce all that comes to be

Examples of yin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Triple slits therefore represent the yin and the yang of physics research—both fundamental and functional. — Urbasi Sinha, Scientific American, "Quantum Slits Open New Doors," 7 Jan. 2020 Two green lions paw at an orange yin-yang, below a big yellow sun with rays of blue and red. — Wired, "In Flying Flags, Emoji Become Political," 25 Oct. 2019 At a wedding, dragon and phoenix imagery is the classic way to embody the yin-yang of female and male energy. — Harper's BAZAAR, "Double Happiness: The Season's Luckiest Wedding Gowns—In China's Most Heavenly Setting," 30 Sep. 2019 Marc-Édouard Vlasic: The yin to Burns’s yang, Steady Eddie is pure system, a team-defense-first kind of guy. — Brian Ricks, The Mercury News, "San Jose Sharks 2019-20 preview: Serious questions on the blue line," 17 Sep. 2019 Figs lend themselves to achieving the sauce’s yin-yang blast in a healthier way, because their inherent sweetness means little added sugar is needed to balance its vinegary pucker. — Ellie Krieger, Washington Post, "A salad with figs, prosciutto and a sweet-sour dressing hits all the right notes," 4 Sep. 2018 The goal of Feng Shui is harmony and a balance of energy — the yin (nighttime, the moon, sleep, meditation) and the yang (sun, movement, activity). — Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, "Chase Center evaluated by Feng Shui expert," 6 Sep. 2019 For instance, when the worm embryo is still a single cell, proteins on its outer membrane create two uneven, yin-and-yang-like domains that tell the cell where to split. — Quanta Magazine, "For Embryo’s Cells, Size Can Determine Fate," 12 Aug. 2019 Many Bratislavans fancy themselves the yang to Vienna's yin: If Vienna is a staid, elderly aristocrat sipping coffee, then Bratislava is a vivacious young professional jet-setting around Europe. — Rick Steves, USA TODAY, "Rick Steves: Slovakia’s capital is the fastest-changing city in Europe with remarkable comeback," 2 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'yin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

10 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Yin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yin. Accessed 18 Feb. 2020.

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