chest

play

noun \ˈchest\

Definition of chest

1a : a container for storage or shipping; especially : a box with a lid used especially for the safekeeping of belongingsb : a cupboard used especially for the storing of medicines or first-aid supplies
2 : the place where money of a public institution is kept : treasury; also : the fund so kept
3a : thorax 1; especially : the part of the human body enclosed by the ribs and sternumb : breast 2a a hairy chest

chestful

play \-ˌfu̇l\ noun

See chest defined for English-language learners

See chest defined for kids

Examples of chest in a Sentence

He has a broad chest.
The pain is in my upper chest.

Recent Examples of chest from the Web

Keeping the chest high, bend both knees, and lean forward slightly for balance.

— elizabeth narins, Cosmopolitan, "5-Minute Short-Shorts Thigh Workout", 5 July 2017
But Armani's fall-winter couture silhouette was all about the chest.

— Bloomberg.com, "Chanel Aims High With Starry 'Eiffel Tower' Paris Show", 4 July 2017
Many arrived with ice chests full of cold drinks and snacks to view the annual show.

— joe songer, AL.com, "Independence Day Fireworks delight huge crowds in Birmingham and Homewood", 4 July 2017
A couple of the men who were killed had railroad spikes driven into the head or chest.

— dana littlefield, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Delay expected in case against man charged in the killing of homeless men in 2016", 1 July 2017
Not a hallucination, just a tightening in my chest, feeling I couldn’t breathe, like the world was going to end.

— julie ma, The Cut, "25 Famous Women on Therapy", 29 June 2017
Scott arrived in the emergency room by ambulance around 3 p.m., complaining of chest and abdominal pain.

— christopher tedeschi, Discover Magazine, "Under Pressure", 26 June 2017
Carpenter and Harris fled the scene, but Carpenter later came to University Hospital to be treated for a gunshot wound to the chest, police said.

— madeleine winer, The Courier-Journal, "4 dead this weekend as police continue to investigate shootings", 24 June 2017
The male victim was shot in the face and left thigh, and the woman was shot twice in the chest and once in the side, court records said.

— ruth ann krause, Post-Tribune, "Gary man, 20, charged in June 13 shooting", 22 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chest'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of chest

Middle English, from Old English cest, cist chest, box, from Latin cista, from Greek kistē basket, hamper

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First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

CHEST Defined for English Language Learners

chest

play

noun

Definition of chest for English Language Learners

: a container (such as a box or case) for holding things or moving them from place to place
: the front part of the body between the neck and the stomach

CHEST Defined for Kids

chest

play

noun \ˈchest\

Definition of chest for Students

1 : a container (as a box or case) for storing, safekeeping, or shipping tool chest treasure chest
2 : the front part of the body enclosed by the ribs and breastbone
3 : a fund of public money a community chest to benefit the needy