yin

(in Chinese philosophy and religion) two principles, one negative, dark, and feminine (yin) and one positive, bright, and masculine (yang) whose interaction influences the destinies of creatures and things.

Origin:
1930–35; < Chinese yīn-yáng

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World English Dictionary

yin (jɪn)

—*determiner, —pron*, —n
	a Scot word for one

Yin and Yang (jɪn)

—n
	two complementary principles of Chinese philosophy: Yin is negative, dark, and feminine, Yang positive, bright, and masculine. Their interaction is thought to maintain the harmony of the universe and to influence everything within it

[from Chinese (Peking) yin dark + yang bright]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

yin

1671, from Chinese (Mandarin) "female, night, lunar."

American Heritage

Cultural Dictionary

yin and yang definition

Two forces in the universe, according to a Chinese theory: yin is the passive, negative force, and yang the active, positive force. According to this theory, wise people will detect these forces in the seasons, in their food, and so on, and will regulate their lives accordingly.

Matching Quote

"The feminist anti-pornography movement, no less than the feminist movement of a century ago, encourages the assumption that male and female sexuality, and possibly morality, are as unlike as yin and yang."

-Barbara Ehrenreich

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