body check

noun

: a blocking of an opposing player with the body (as in ice hockey or lacrosse)
bodycheck transitive verb

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web In 1995, Quincy High hockey player Matthew Messing wasn’t as fortunate, dying after taking a body check to the chest. Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Jan. 2023 Romanov also leveled Devils forward Miles Wood with a body check at 12:05 of the second, sparking a melee in near the Islanders net. Allan Kreda, ajc, 10 Dec. 2022 But Mother Nature pulled off a body check and knocked the tourney to its knees with unseasonably warm weather that led to first a rescheduling and then a cancellation this year. Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2022 So when the physical 6-8, 250-pound Randle gave him a body check with an extended elbow in another box out situation late in the third quarter, Johnson had dealt with enough of the bully ball. Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2022 Do a full body check, especially under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, the back of the knees, in and around the hair, between the legs, and around the waist. Rachel Trent, CNN, 12 July 2021 Orpik separated Cedric Paquette from the puck twice on one shift, Ovechkin leveled rookie Yanni Gourde and Wilson was his usual self, dishing out a handful of crushing body checks. Stephen Whyno, chicagotribune.com, 21 May 2018 Enter Florida State, a tenacious defensive team that was willing to reduce an NCAA Tournament second-round game to wrestling-style hand-fighting and body checks, which the referees abided on an on-again, off-again basis. Patrick Brennan, Cincinnati.com, 19 Mar. 2018 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'body check.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of body check was in 1869

Dictionary Entries Near body check

Cite this Entry

“Body check.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body%20check. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Which Came First?

  • baby chick with a brown egg
  • hot take or cold shoulder?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY