cheese

¹cheese

noun, often attributive \ˈchēz\

Definition of CHEESE

1

a : a food consisting of the coagulated, compressed, and usually ripened curd of milk separated from the whey

b : an often cylindrical cake of this food

2

: something resembling cheese in shape or consistency

3

: something cheap or shabby : cheesy material <cinematic cheese>

Origin of CHEESE

Middle English chese, from Old English cēse, from Latin caseus cheese

First Known Use: before 12th century

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

Rhymes with CHEESE

breeze, ease, feeze, freeze, frieze, jeez, lees, please, res, seize, sneeze, squeeze, tease, tweeze, wheeze

²cheese

transitive verb

cheesedchees·ing

Definition of CHEESE

: to put an end to : stop

— cheese it

—used in the imperative as a warning of danger <cheese it, the cops>

Origin of CHEESE

origin unknown

First Known Use: circa 1811

³cheese

noun

Definition of CHEESE

slang

: someone important

Origin of CHEESE

perhaps from Hindi cīz & Urdu chīz thing, from Persian chīz

First Known Use: 1920

cheese

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Food consisting of the coagulated, compressed, and usually ripened curd of milk separated from the whey. When milk sours, it forms both a protein-rich gel, or curd, and a lactose-rich fluid, or whey. Coagulation is often facilitated by adding rennin, an enzyme that acts on the milk's chief protein, casein. The resulting curd is then cut or broken to release most of the whey. Ripening and curing are affected by moisture content, acidity, presence of microorganisms, and other factors. Cheese is made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, water buffalo, llamas, yaks, and other animals; in the West, cow's milk is most common. Products vary according to fat content of the milk, heating or pasteurization, and addition of enzymes or cultures of bacteria, molds, or yeasts. Cheese varieties include hard cheeses (e.g., cheddar, Edam, Emmental, Gouda, Provolone, Romano, Swiss), semisoft cheeses (Gorgonzola, Limburger, Muenster, Roquefort), and soft cheeses (Brie, Camembert, cottage, Neufchâtel, and ricotta). Cheese is a source of protein, fat, minerals (calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, iron), and vitamin A.