Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. US) to become emotionally cold, withdrawn; to lose interest.

1872		E. Perkins Saratoga in 1901 208: ‘Don’t mean business, Fred don’t; he’s “spooney,” then “chills” all at once!’ [Ibid.] ‘Fact is, I’ve “chilled” on last year’s operas. They’re a “bore”.’.
1949		N. Algren Man with the Golden Arm 256: Don’t chill on me. Stick with me just this one time.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 260: Helen chilled when she saw the pretty bitch.

2. (US Und.) to knock out or down.

1939		Howsley Argot: Dict. of Und. Sl.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 43/1: Chill, v. [...] To knock unconscious or to kill.
1967		P. Thomas Down These Mean Streets (1970) 53: I got most happy. I’d been aching to chill that maricón.
1974		(con. 1940s) E. Thompson Tattoo (1977) 72: Man! I chilled him. He could be dead.

3. (US Black) in fig. use of sense 1, to amaze.

1940

Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 10 Feb. 7/1: I dug the dance but they chilled me with their togs. The males were in [...] skimmers, kilt ties and appendages. The softs were in fine [...] swishes with accessories.

4. (US Und.) to stack a deck of cards prior to using them in a cheating card-game.

1940

D. Maurer Big Con 271: [The deck] has previously been ‘chilled’ or stacked in preparation for this play.

5. to murder, to assassinate.

1933		Ersine Und. and Prison Sl.
1939		R. Chandler ‘Trouble Is My Business’ in Spanish Blood (1946) 200: A hundred guys could have chilled this little wart.
1940		R.L. Bellem ‘Death’s Passport’ in Goodstone Pulps (1970) 115/1: Who chilled him?
1950		see sense 1.
1959		W. Brown Teen-Age Mafia 59: Once a guy got chilled the heat was really on.
1969		R.R. Lingeman Drugs from A to Z (1970) 61: chill [...] to kill.
1973		E. Bunker No Beast So Fierce 255: The fuzz [...] think I chilled a cop this afternoon. It’s on the news.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 107: The act of killing (wasting, icing, offing, chilling, sniping, snuffing).
1994		G. Indiana Rent Boy 87: Just because a person did a little time doesn’t mean they’re up for chilling their associates, right?
2004		J. Ellroy ‘Hot-Prowl Rape-O’ in Destination: Morgue! (2004) 299: Jack’s dead, by the way. Your old Narco pals chilled him.

6. to give up on, to abandon, to ignore.

1934		J.L. Kuethe ‘Prison Parlance’ in AS IX:1 26: chill. To lose interest in a matter.
1936		D. Maurer ‘Argot of the Und. Narcotic Addict’ Pt 1 in AS XI:2 88/2: To chill. To submit to arrest without struggling or resisting.
1953		L. Durst Jives of Dr. Hepcat (1989) 6: With that fly cat I’ll chill my chat and fall on my righteous pad and cop a nod like mad.
1960, 1975		Wentworth & Flexner DAS.
1979		‘Iceberg Slim’ Airtight Willie and Me 79: Nothing like a blond white bitch with movie star looks [...] to drool that punk and chill the shit of that nigger bitch you done blowed.
1989		Rolling Stones ‘Can’t Be Seen’ 🎵 Yeah, I got to chill this thing with you / I just can’t be.
1992		J. Mowry Way Past Cool 15: Best we chill our own fire.
2002		Teen Lingo: The Source for Youth Ministry 🌐 clock v. to hit someone, usually knocking them in the head. ‘Brian you betta chill wit’ that or I’m going to straight up clock you in your grill!’.

7. (US Und.) to deal with, to nullify, e.g. a criminal charge.

1931		D. Runyon ‘Lillian’ in Guys and Dolls (1956) 238: There is plenty of trouble around the Brussels in chilling the blonde doll’s beef over Lillian snagging her Peke.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 43/1: Chill the beef or the rap. To terrorize witnesses or complainants by force or threats into withdrawing from a case.
1972		R. Barrett Lovomaniacs (1973) 128: I was honked at her because I was afraid her being there was going to chill a thing I had going with a babe.
2001		(con. 1975–6) E. Little Steel Toes 33: I’m gonna do everything I can to get this chilled.
2009		(con. 1960s) J. Ellroy Blood’s a Rover 16: ‘I do not want Mr Hoover going into a tizzy about this.’ ‘It’s chilled’.

8. (US Und.) for the victim of a confidence trick to lose interest.

1940

D. Maurer Big Con 292: To chill. 1. For a mark to lose interest in a con game.

9. (US) to tolerate, to make no fuss about.

1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 49: chill [...] to submit to arrest.
1993		J. Mowry Six Out Seven (1994) 326: My mom been chillin with Ethan for two days now, but it prob’ly startin to wear.

10. see chill (out) v.