SINCE 1828
check
noun
\ ˈchek
\
\
Definition of check
(Entry 1 of 3)
1
: exposure of a chess king to an attack from which he must be protected or moved to safety
with his king in check
2a
: 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)
3
: a sudden pause or break in a progression
the invaders coming in without a check
5
: one that arrests, limits, or restrains : restraint
against all checks, rebukes, and manners, I must advance— William Shakespeare
6a
: a standard for testing and evaluation : criterion
b
: examination
a quick check of the engine
c
: inspection, investigation
a loyalty check on government employees
d
: the act of testing or verifying
making a check on the data
also
: the sample or unit used for testing or verifying
7
: 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?
8a
: a ticket or token showing ownership or identity or indicating payment made
a baggage check
b
: a counter in various games
c
: a slip indicating the amount due : bill
ask the waiter for the 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
: a mark typically ✓ placed beside an item to show it has been noted, examined, or verified
in check
: under restraint or control
trying to keep his emotions in check
check
verb
checked;
checking;
checks
Definition of check (Entry 2 of 3)
1
: to put (a chess king) in check
3a
: to slow or bring to a stop : brake
hastily checked the impulse
b
: to block the progress of (someone, such as a hockey player)
4a
: 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
5a
: to compare with a source, original, or authority : verify
needs to check her facts
b
: to inspect, examine, or look at appraisingly
—usually used with out or over checking out new cars
c
: to mark with a check as examined, verified, or satisfactory
—often used with off checked off each item
d
: to look at (something) to obtain information
checking a watch to see the time check a map/schedule
e
: 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
f
: to access (e-mail, voice mail, etc.) to find out if there are messages
kept checking her voice mail throughout the day
6a
: 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
7
: to mark into squares : checker
check the cloth
8
: to leave or accept for safekeeping in a checkroom
check a coat
9
: to make checks or chinks : cause to crack
the sun checks timber
1a
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
2a
: 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
3
: to draw a check on a bank
4
: to waive the right to initiate the betting in a round of poker
check into
check that
check up on
1
: to check in at
check into a hotel
2
: investigate
the police are checking into his alibi
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
: investigate
check up on a possible investment
check
interjectionDefinition of check (Entry 3 of 3)
—used to express assent or agreement
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Other Words from check
Noun
checkless
\ ˈchek-ləs
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms & Antonyms for check
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
accord, agree, answer, chord, cohere, coincide, comport, conform, consist, correspond, dovetail, fit, go, harmonize, jibe, rhyme (also rime), sort, square, tally
Antonyms: Verb
differ (from), disagree (with)
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Examples of check in a Sentence
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 checkVerb
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.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Despite the comeback, there is little political unity among Atatürk supporters and the Turkish president has moved to keep the revival in check. — David Gauthier-villars, WSJ, "A Craze for Atatürk Gives New Cachet to Turkey’s Founding Father," 22 Feb. 2019 So come Marie-Kondo your spending with me, and try some of their hacks for getting your finances in check. — Samantha Leach, Glamour, "The Only Money Hacks You Need to Save Big in 2019," 14 Jan. 2019 Janet has also been focusing on keeping her stress in check. — Woman's Day Staff, Woman's Day, ""I Set Out to Improve My Blood Pressure and Lost 111 Pounds'," 3 Oct. 2018 If left unhindered, MDSCs promote tumor growth by shutting down other immune cells that keep tumors in check. — Esther Landhuis, Scientific American, "Could Brain Stimulation Slow Cancer?," 13 July 2018 The judge said the administration must provide a list of names of parents in immigration custody and their children by Monday and complete background checks for them by Thursday. — CBS News, "Trump administration lays out plan to reunite 2,500 immigrant children with their families," 13 July 2018 Is music just one more distraction to keep the working class in check? — Ed Masley, azcentral, "These are the best songs of 2018, so far," 12 July 2018 Charlotte was clearly looking forward to the christening after party — and made sure to keep the guest list in check! — Erin Hill, PEOPLE.com, "Did Princess Charlotte Tell Off Photographers at Prince Louis' Christening?," 12 July 2018 Teams have adopted a safety-first approach, keeping offensive aggression in check as a trade-off for maintaining maximum stability at the back and denying the opponent meaningful scoring chances. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "Extra time is lame. Let's just skip straight to penalties at the World Cup," 8 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
In these cases, the field referee is now invited to check the validity of his decision on the screen. — Afp, chicagotribune.com, "German federation calls for more usage of VAR," 2 Nov. 2017 If your gal pal never makes an effort to check up on you via text, call, Facebook messenger, smoke signal, etc. — Jessica Ariel Wendroff, Teen Vogue, "5 Signs It's Time to Break Up With Your BFF," 2 Nov. 2017 So there’s such demand for investors to check the Boise market. — John Sowell, idahostatesman, "Why did a firm owned by one of the richest women in the U.S. just buy BoDo in Boise?," 31 Oct. 2017 Audiences were evacuated at seven cinemas in central Moscow, when police were forced to check for explosives after bomb threats were phoned in. — Nick Holdsworth, The Hollywood Reporter, "Russia Box Office: Local-Language Disney Film Beats Controversial 'Matilda'," 30 Oct. 2017 When the timer goes off, check the eggs: the whites should be just set and opaque. — Sarah Rense, Esquire, "A Completely Foolproof Guide to Perfectly Poaching an Egg," 30 Oct. 2017 If the separation worsens, make an appointment with your doctor to check things out. — Sarah Kinonen, Allure, "People Are Ripping Off Their Ingrown Toenails and Filming It," 26 Oct. 2017 Some crematoriums use handheld metal detectors to check for undisclosed implants. — Melissa Jayne Kinsey, Slate Magazine, "Going Out With a Bang," 26 Oct. 2017 Twitter, for example, will ban official Russian news outlets while Facebook plans to do better fact-checking on its news feed and will reveal the sources of political ads. — The Christian Science Monitor, "Social media shine a light on themselves," 4 Nov. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'check.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Dictionary Entries near check
Statistics for check
Last Updated
9 Mar 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for check
The first known use of check was in the 14th century
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More Definitions for check
check
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of check
: to look at (something) carefully to find mistakes, problems, etc., or to make sure there is nothing wrong with it
: to get information by looking at something, asking about something, etc.
: to look at or in (a place) in order to find or get something or someone
See the full definition for check in the English Language Learners Dictionary
check
noun
\ ˈchek
\
\
Kids Definition of check
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a sudden stopping of progress : pause
The anchor gave a check to the ship's motion.
2
: something that delays, stops, or holds back
The new penalty will serve as a check on pollution.
3
: examination sense 1, investigation
a safety check
4
: a written order telling a bank to pay out money from a person's account to the one named on the order
5
: a ticket or token showing a person's ownership, identity, or claim to something
a baggage check
6
: a slip of paper showing the amount due
7
: a pattern in squares
The shirt has a blue and red check.
8
: a mark ✓ typically placed beside a written or printed item to show that something has been specially noted
9
: an act of hitting or stopping a player in hockey
10
: a situation in chess in which a player's king can be captured on the opponent's next turn
in check
: under control
Try to keep your emotions in check.
check
verb
checked;
checking
Kids Definition of check (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to slow or bring to a stop
A bandage checked the bleeding. The batter checked his swing.
2
: to hold back or under control
You must check your temper.
3
: to make sure that something is correct or satisfactory
Don't forget to check your spelling. I'll have to check the time with my mom.
4
: to get information by examining
He checked his watch.
5
: to mark with a check
Check the correct answer.
6
: to leave or accept for safekeeping or for shipment
check baggage
7
: to stop or hit (a player) in hockey
check out
1
: to look at
Check out his new car.
2
: to borrow from a library
She checked out two books.
3
: to pay for purchases
check
nounLegal Definition of check
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
—
cashierʼs 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
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