check

1 of 3

verb

ˈchek 

checked; checking; checks

transitive verb

1

a

: to inspect, examine, or look at appraisingly or appreciatively

—usually used with out or over

The doctors checked him over for injuries.

checking out new cars

And so no, I won't help you to find a way to check out women in front of your wife.

—Amy Dickinson

b

: to compare with a source, original, or authority : verify

needs to check her facts

c

: to look at (something) to obtain information

checking a watch to see the time

check a map/schedule

d

: to look or reach into (something) to find what is there

Harry glanced around at Fred, who was looking anxious and checking his pockets.

—J. K. Rowling

e

: to access (email, voicemail, etc.) to find out if there are messages

kept checking her voice mail throughout the day

f

: to mark with a check as examined, verified, or satisfactory

—often used with off

checked off each item

2

a

: to slow or bring to a stop : brake

hastily checked the impulse

b

: to block the progress of (someone, such as a hockey player)

3

: to leave or accept for safekeeping in a checkroom

check a coat

4

a

: to consign (something, such as luggage) to a common carrier from which one has purchased a passenger ticket

checked our bags before boarding

b

: to ship or accept for shipment under such a consignment

5

a

: to restrain or diminish the action or force of : control

tried to thwart or check our purposes in the legislature

b

: to slack or ease off (a rope) and then belay again

6

: to mark into squares : checker

check the cloth

7

: to put (a chess king) in check

8

: to make checks or chinks : cause to crack

the sun checks timber

9

chiefly dialectal : rebuke, reprimand

intransitive verb

1

a

: to investigate conditions

checked on the passengers' safety

b

: to prove to be consistent or truthful

The description checks with the photograph.

—often used with out

The story checked out.

c

: to look at or in something to see or find what is there

check for messages on a cell phone

2

a

of a dog : to stop in a chase especially when scent is lost

b

: to halt through caution, uncertainty, or fear : stop

The train checked with a jolt …

—B. A. Williams

3

: to draw a check on a bank

4

: to waive the right to initiate the betting in a round of poker

5

: crack, split

Drying wood can cause it to check.

check

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: examination

a quick check of the engine

b

: the act of testing or verifying

making a check on the data

also : the sample or unit used for testing or verifying

c

: inspection, investigation

a loyalty check on government employees

d

: a standard for testing and evaluation : criterion

2

: a written order directing a bank to pay money as instructed : draft

Do you want to pay in cash, by check, or by credit card?

3

: one that arrests, limits, or restrains : restraint

… against all checks, rebukes, and manners, I must advance …

—William Shakespeare

4

a

: a sudden stoppage of a forward course or progress : arrest

The outbreak of war in 1939 gave a sudden check to the sculptor's work.

—Herbert Read

b

: a checking of an opposing player (as in ice hockey)

5

: a sudden pause or break in a progression

the invaders coming in without a check

6

a

: a slip indicating the amount due : bill

Ask the waiter for the check.

b

: a ticket or token showing ownership or identity or indicating payment made

a baggage check

c

: a counter in various games

7

: a mark typically ✓ placed beside an item to show it has been noted, examined, or verified

8

: exposure of a chess king to an attack from which he must be protected or moved to safety

with his king in check

9

[Middle English chek, short for cheker checker]

a

: a pattern in squares that resembles a checkerboard

bordered her plain shower curtain with a check in coordinating bathroom colors

b

: a fabric woven or printed with such a design

Fashionable checks come in all sizes and colors in both twill and square weaves.

10

: crack, break

11

archaic : reprimand, rebuke

checkless

ˈchek-ləs 

adjective

check

3 of 3

interjection

—used to express assent or agreement

Phrases

check into

1

: to check in at

check into a hotel

2

: investigate

The police are checking into his alibi.

check that

informal

—used to take back or correct a previous statement

"Sir, I don't know why but there must be a foot or two of water coming down Claiborne. No, check that—three feet."

—Christopher Cooper and Robert Block

check up on

: investigate

check up on a possible investment

in check

: under restraint or control

trying to keep his emotions in check

Synonyms

Verb

• accord
• agree
• answer
• chord
• cohere
• coincide
• comport
• conform
• consist
• correspond
• dovetail
• fit
• go
• harmonize
• jibe
• rhyme
• rime
• sort
• square
• tally

Noun

• bill
• tab

Choose the Right Synonym for check

restrain, check, curb, bridle mean to hold back from or control in doing something.

restrain suggests holding back by force or persuasion from acting or from going to extremes.

restrained themselves from laughing

check implies restraining or impeding a progress, activity, or impetus.

trying to check government spending

curb suggests an abrupt or drastic checking.

learn to curb your appetite

bridle implies keeping under control by subduing or holding in.

bridle an impulse to throw the book down

Examples of check in a Sentence

Verb

Make sure to check your spelling.

She checked her makeup in the mirror.

We should check the equipment to make sure that it's working properly.

The guards checked my passport.

He checked his watch and saw that it was almost noon.

I'll just check the map to see where we are.

I'll check the newspaper to see when the movie starts.

If you're looking for a spoon, check the top drawer.

I checked his office but he wasn't there.

If you're looking for the umbrella, check in the closet.

Noun

Please give the schedule a check to see if the times are correct.

I gave the ingredients list a quick check to see if the cereal contained any sugar.

She ran a quick check of the computer to make sure it was working properly.

The police ran a check on the license plate and found out that the car had been stolen.

He was penalized for an illegal check.

He made out the check to me and signed it, and I deposited it in my account.

Do you want to pay in cash, by check, or by credit card?

a fabric with a blue and yellow check

See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Before consumers treat themselves with over-the-counter (OTC) eye drops, the AOA recommends consulting with their local optometrist and also checking the FDA’s website for an up-to-date list of products being recalled. —Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 18 Nov. 2023

The doctors administered fluids to the visibly dehydrated and underweight cubs while awaiting the results of further bloodwork and testing, checking them daily. —Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023

There’s a really robust team that supports Peter, and all his ideas and ambitions are very, very carefully fact checked. —Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Nov. 2023

Be sure to check expiration dates on your products before going in for a deep clean, and to store your cleaners properly, according to their labels. —Alyssa Rotunno, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2023

The best solution, so far, is to make tests—including fast but less-precise rapid tests—a routine procedure at any point where a pregnant woman might be medically checked: not just ERs and urgent care centers, but syringe exchange programs and jails. —WIRED, 16 Nov. 2023

People should also check a product's expiration date before use. —Elizabeth Napolitano contributed to this report. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023

Recipients can check the amount on their Delaware Food First cards by checking their last grocery receipt. —Brady Knox, Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 2023

This year, however, Michaels says its stores will be closed on Thanksgiving, but will open at 7 a.m. on Black Friday, but shoppers should check their local stores' extended hours. —Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2023

Noun

Except for the occasional weigh-in or vet check, these creatures are hardly ever touched. —Lee Powell, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023

The 64-year-old Emmy winner was found lying, face upward, in a bathtub in his Austin home on Aug. 8 following a welfare check conducted by local authorities. —Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Nov. 2023

After some additional checks, SpaceX managers could give the green light for a final countdown early Saturday. —Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 16 Nov. 2023

Police in Washington state are searching for a couple determined to be missing after a welfare check at their home. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023

The alarm was raised Monday when officers carried out a welfare check at the couple's home in the Lake Forest development, north of Seattle, after one of them failed to turn up for work. —Patrick Smith, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023

Still, writing checks is only a portion of what the SSA does. —Aly J. Yale, wsj.com, 14 Nov. 2023

Once installed, the nurseries required periodic checks and maintenance. —Vittoria Traverso, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023

Deputies were called to the couple's apartment on the morning of March 25 to conduct a welfare check after Smith, 59, failed to show up for work the day before, the sheriff's office said in a news release. —Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English chek, from Anglo-French eschec, from Arabic shāh, from Persian, literally, king; akin to Greek ktasthai to acquire, Sanskrit kṣatra dominion

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 7

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 8

Interjection

1922, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing check

• body check
• bed check
• cashier's check
• certified check
• check in with
• check in
• check back with
• check back
• check/take/feel someone's pulse
• check mark
• check it out
• counter check
• coat-check/hat-check girl
• coat check
• check valve
• check through
• cut a check
• fact-check
• hook check
• gut check
• keep/hold in check
• keep a close check on
• pick up the tab/bill/check
• perpetual check
• rain check
• reality check
• shepherd's check
• security check
• rubber check
• spot-check
• blank check company
• bum check
• back-check
• blank check
• check box
• cross-check
• check out
• check off on
• sound check
• name check
• double check
• check off
• check over
• traveler's check
• spell check
• check on
• check into
• check up on
• put a check on
• check that
• in check

See More

• body check
• bed check
• cashier's check
• certified check
• check in with
• check in
• check back with
• check back
• check/take/feel someone's pulse
• check mark
• check it out
• counter check
• coat-check/hat-check girl
• coat check
• check valve
• check through
• cut a check
• fact-check
• hook check
• gut check
• keep/hold in check
• keep a close check on
• pick up the tab/bill/check
• perpetual check
• rain check
• reality check
• shepherd's check
• security check
• rubber check
• spot-check
• blank check company
• bum check
• back-check
• blank check
• check box
• cross-check
• check out
• check off on
• sound check
• name check
• double check
• check off
• check over
• traveler's check
• spell check
• check on
• check into
• check up on
• put a check on
• check that
• in check

See More

Kids Definition

check

1 of 2 noun

ˈchek 

1

: the exposing of a chess king to attack

2

: a sudden stopping of progress

3

: something that delays, stops, or holds back : restraint

4

: examination sense 1, investigation

5

: a written order telling a bank to pay out money from a person's or company's account to the one named on the order

pay a bill by check

cash a check

6

a

: a ticket or token that shows that the bearer has a claim to something

a baggage check

b

: a slip of paper showing the amount due : bill

7

a

: a pattern of squares

b

: a fabric with such a design

8

: a mark ✓ placed beside an item to show it has been noted

check

2 of 2 verb

1

: to put a chess king in check

2

a

: to bring to a stop

to check an impulse

b

: to come to a stop

3

: to hold back : restrain, curb

checked her temper

4

a

: to make sure that something is correct or satisfactory

check your blood pressure

check it out with a teacher

b

: to inspect, examine, or look at

checking out new cars

checked over the damage

5

: to mark with a check

check the first item

6

: to mark with squares : checker

7

: to leave or accept for safekeeping or for shipment

check baggage

8

: to be the same on every point : tally

Etymology

Noun

Middle English chek "check (in chess), attack," from early French eschec (same meaning), from Arabic shāh "check (in chess)," from a Persian word meaning literally "king" — related to checker, chess

Legal Definition

check

noun

1

: something that limits or restrains see also checks and balances

2

: a written order signed by its maker directing a bank to pay a specified sum to a named person or to that person's order on demand see also negotiable instrument compare draft

— bank check

: a check drawn by a bank on its deposits in another bank

— cashier's check

: a check drawn by a bank on its own funds and signed by the cashier or another bank official

— certified check

: a check certified to be good by the bank upon which it is drawn by the signature of usually the cashier or paying teller with the word certified or accepted across the face of the check

— NSF check Not Sufficient Funds

: a check drawn on an account with insufficient funds from which to make payment