cheese

1 of 3

noun (1)

often attributive
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

cheese

2 of 3

verb

cheesed; cheesing

transitive verb

: to put an end to : stop

cheese

3 of 3

noun (2)

slang
: someone important
Phrases
cheese it
used in the imperative as a warning of danger
cheese it, the cops

Examples of cheese in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
So add a can of pickled peppers and a pack of cheese to your shopping list this week. Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 22 Nov. 2023 Travis seconds Jason’s compliments to mother Donna Kelce’s dinner rolls and says mac and cheese is a favorite of his, too. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023 At cocktail bars across New York City, alcoholic drinks are taking inspiration from Italian subs and bacon, egg, and cheese bagels, New York magazine’s Grub Street reported on Monday. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2023 How about the Jess Dog — named after Perone’s partner and co-owner, Jessica Kleinmann — topped with pickles, onions and mustard, and served with a silly side of bright orange cheese puffs? Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023 Alfredo sauce is typically made with Parmesan cheese, milk, butter, and salt and pepper, which keeps the flavors in this casserole simple and satisfying. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2023 The cheese takes on the texture of al dente pasta, and the filling is reminiscent of a savory baklava. Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023 In 2023, Dontae was twenty-three, the father of three children, a tall, serene adult, perpetually lean despite his appetite for his grandmother’s mac and cheese. Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2023 Over the years, researchers have found ancient structures that contain traces of materials as diverse as milk, cheese, beer, and even urine. Tim Brinkhof, Discover Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023
Verb
Lee still embodies that bubbly exuberance that the world first got a glimpse of after her win in Tokyo, cheesing for the camera in her white Team USA fit and gold medal while eating pizza. Christine Yu, SELF, 4 Oct. 2023 Throughout her account, Desiree's sweet baby girl can be seen practicing her favorite word — hi — and cheesing it up for the camera. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 1 Aug. 2023 Light stretched out on the pavement ahead of her and Table pulled up cheesing. Hazlitt, 14 June 2023 For her second post, Hudson uploaded quite a few sweet moments from the graduation festivities — including one of Otunga cheesing for the camera, and a few images with Hudson, too. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 3 June 2023 The actor continued cheesing in the other shots, while his children pulled some adorable silly faces. Alexis Jones, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2023 But business is going quite well these days, and Marchant is planning on transitioning from pathogen cultures to cheese cultures full-time within the next year. Beth Segal, cleveland, 3 Dec. 2021 In two of the sweet snaps, Zaya, 14, gives Kaavia a piggyback ride on the Parc du Champ de Mars as the sisters cheese for the camera. Ashley Boucher, PEOPLE.com, 30 Aug. 2021 From beef, to cheese to toilet paper, the staples people often purchase are putting an increasing strain on Americans' budgets. Peter Dunn, USA TODAY, 1 July 2021 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Verb

origin unknown

Noun (2)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1811, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cheese was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near cheese

Cite this Entry

“Cheese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cheese. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

cheese

noun
ˈchēz
: a food made from milk usually by separating out the curd and molding it

More from Merriam-Webster on cheese

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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