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chest

noun
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\ ˈchest How to pronounce chest (audio) \

Definition of chest

1a : a container for storage or shipping especially : a box with a lid used especially for the safekeeping of belongings
b : 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 sense 1 especially : the part of the human body enclosed by the ribs and sternum
b : breast sense 2a a hairy chest
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Other Words from chest

chestful \ ˈchest-​ˌfu̇l How to pronounce chestful (audio) \ noun

Examples of chest in a Sentence

He has a broad chest. The pain is in my upper chest.
Recent Examples on the Web The model is an enigmatic apparition, veiled by a heavy gold fringe of glass beads down to her chest—as if Theda Bara’s face were going to a Halloween party dressed as a car wash. — Cintra Wilson, The New York Review of Books, "Waste Not, Shop Not," 11 Feb. 2020 One woman, walking past his car still parked in front of his home, paused, shook her head and placed her hand over her chest. — Aaron Randle, New York Times, "A Beloved Philanthropist, a Grisly Murder and a Neighborhood in Shock," 11 Feb. 2020 Think of a chest-beating male gorilla, for example. — Fox News, "Seals seen clapping underwater as a show of strength," 6 Feb. 2020 The knot in his chest had loosened, and the hospital discharged him. — National Geographic, "‘I can’t wait to hold my kids again’: Life inside Wuhan’s quarantine," 6 Feb. 2020 Native Texan Bobby Labonte says his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame looms as more than a chest-bumping reunion with big brother Terry in stock car racing’s shrine. — John Sturbin, Dallas News, "Bobby Labonte joins his brother as the only Texans in the NASCAR Hall of Fame," 29 Jan. 2020 Some chest-thumping nationalists will point to China as an example of how to get away with such behavior. — Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, "Jeff Bezos’ Unhappy Passage to India," 23 Jan. 2020 Stanley Choate, 75, the presiding bishop, was shot in the chest. — Washington Post, "Man accused in shootings pleads not guilty to lawyer attack," 29 Jan. 2020 Wilburn’s 29-year-old son-in-law was shot in the chest and is hospitalized in stable condition. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Indiana shooting suspect and his wife captured in Alabama after hours-long search," 29 Jan. 2020

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.

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First Known Use of chest

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

History and Etymology for chest

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

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Time Traveler for chest

Time Traveler

The first known use of chest was before the 12th century

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Statistics for chest

Last Updated

15 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Chest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chest. Accessed 24 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for chest

chest

noun
How to pronounce chest (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of chest

: 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

See the full definition for chest in the English Language Learners Dictionary

chest

noun
\ ˈchest How to pronounce chest (audio) \

Kids Definition of chest

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

Other Words from chest

chested \ ˈche-​stəd \ adjective

chest

noun
\ ˈchest How to pronounce chest (audio) \

Medical Definition of chest

1 : medicine chest
2 : the part of the body enclosed by the ribs and sternum

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More from Merriam-Webster on chest

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for chest

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with chest

Spanish Central: Translation of chest

Nglish: Translation of chest for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of chest for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chest

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