Main Entry: ¹check·mate

Pronunciation: \ˈchek-ˌmāt\

Function: transitive verb

Etymology: Middle English chekmaten, from chekmate, interjection used to announce checkmate, from Anglo-French eschec mat, from Arabic shāh māt, from Persian, literally, the king is left unable to escape

Date: 14th century

1 : to arrest, thwart, or counter completely
2 : to check (a chess opponent's king) so that escape is impossible