check
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: chĕk
ipa: /t͡ʃɛk/
ipa: [t͡ʃʰɛk̚]
homophone: cheque
homophone: Czech
rhymes: -ɛk
Forms: form: checks
Etymology: From Middle English chek, chekke, borrowed from Old French eschek, eschec, eschac, from Medieval Latin scaccus, borrowed from Arabic شَاه (šāh, “king or check at chess, shah”), borrowed from Classical Persian شَاه (šāh, “king”), from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (mlkʾ /⁠šāh⁠/), from Old Persian 𐏋 (XŠ /⁠xšāyaθiya⁠/, “king”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kšáyati (“he rules, he has power over”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tek- (“to gain power over, gain control over”). All of the English senses developed from the chess sense. Compare Saterland Frisian Schak, Schach, Dutch schaak, German Schach, Danish skak, Swedish schack, Icelandic skák, French échec, Italian scacco. See chess and shah (“king of Persia or Iran”), from the same source, as well as thig, which derives from the Germanic cognate.
Senses: examples: text: I don't know if she will be there, but it's worth a check.
glosses: An inspection or examination.
examples: text: checks and balances
text: The castle moat should hold the enemy in check.
text: a remarkable check to the first progress of Christianity
ref: 2025 December 4 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 33. Thursday, November 23. [1716.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC:
glosses: A control; a limit or stop.
topics: board-games
chess
games
glosses: A situation in which the king is directly threatened by an opposing piece.
examples: text: Norton had made a neat, lawyerly check beside each of the items he and Billy had picked up—half a dozen or so, including the milk and a six-pack of Coke.
ref: 1980, Stephen King, The Mist, Viking Press:
synonyms: word: tick
word: checkmark
glosses: A mark (especially a checkmark: ✓) used as an indicator.
examples: text: I was not carrying cash, so I wrote a check for the amount.
synonyms: word: cheque
glosses: An order to a bank to pay money to a named person or entity.
examples: text: I summoned the waiter, paid the check, and hurried to leave.
synonyms: word: bill
word: cheque
glosses: A bill, particularly in a restaurant.
examples: text: The hockey player gave a good hard check to obtain the puck.
text: Liverpool had been reduced to 10 men in the 88th minute, Ibrahima Konaté collecting a second yellow card for a check on Kai Havertz.
ref: 2024 February 4, David Hytner, “Arsenal ignite title hopes as Gabriel Martinelli punishes Liverpool error”, in The Guardian:
qualifier: contact sports
glosses: A maneuver performed by a player to take another player out of the play.
examples: text: […]the statute prohibits a machine which dispenses checks or tokens for replay[…]
ref: 1963, American law reports annotated: second series, volume 89:
glosses: A token used instead of cash in gaming machines, or in gambling generally.
glosses: A lengthwise separation through the growth rings in wood.
examples: text: a check given for baggage
text: a return check on a railroad
glosses: A mark, certificate, or token by which errors may be prevented, or a thing or person may be identified.
topics: falconry
hobbies
hunting
lifestyle
glosses: The forsaking by a hawk of its proper game to follow other birds.
glosses: A small chink or crack.
Hyponyms: bad check
bed check
body check
bugcheck
bug check
cashier's check
counter check
diaper check
discovered check
double check
fit check
gut check
heat check
hot check
nappy check
rain check
reality check
revealed check
shoulder check
signal check
stick check
teller's check
traveler's check
Derived terms: aircheck
attitude check
backcheck
bounce a check
buttcheck
checkage
checkback
check bill
checkbox
check is in the mail
checkitis
checkless
checkman
check minus
check plus
checkpoint
checkpointless
checkpost
checkrein
checkride
checkroll
checkroom
checkrow
checkstand
checkstop
checkstring
checksum
CheckUser
check washing
checkweighman
checkwriter
countercheck
enhanced check
hatcheck
mike check
mischeck
pass in one's checks
soundcheck
stopcheck
telecheck
time check
time-of-check to time-of-use
write checks one can't cash