chest

noun

ˈchest 

1

a

: 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

3

a

: thorax sense 1

especially : the part of the human body enclosed by the ribs and sternum

b

: breast sense 2a

a hairy chest

chestful

ˈchest-ˌfu̇l 

noun

Synonyms of chest

• locker
• bin
• box
• trunk

Examples of chest in a Sentence

He has a broad chest.

The pain is in my upper chest.

Recent Examples on the Web

But that night, alone in his home, Carr took a knife and held it to his chest. — Mirin Fader, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Instead, Donnelly and Sanchez said, she has been prescribed baby aspirin, a statin, diltiazem and nitroglycerin as needed for chest pains. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Following a short outpatient procedure, the device sits under his skin on his chest, similar to a heart pacemaker. — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026

Svetlana Grković, a Serbian national, previously told news outlets that the decompression left her husband Ljubisa Karović, 61, hanging outside the aircraft up to his chest for about two minutes while passengers tried to pull him back inside. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing chest

• blanket chest
• chest of drawers
• chest-thumping
• community chest
• get (something) off one's chest
• hold/keep/play (something) close to one's chest
• hope chest
• medicine chest
• play/hold/keep one's cards close to the/one's chest/vest
• sea chest
• slop chest
• steam chest
• treasure chest
• war chest

Rhymes for chest

• blessed
• blest
• breast
• crest
• dressed
• fest
• gest
• geste
• guessed
• jest
• lest
• messed

Kids Definition

chest

noun

ˈchest 

1

: a container (as a box or case) for storing, safekeeping, or shipping

tool chest

linen chest

2

: a public fund

community chest

3

: the part of the body enclosed by the ribs and sternum

chested

ˈches-təd

adjective

chestful

ˈchest-ˌfu̇l 

noun

Medical Definition

chest

noun

ˈchest 

1

: medicine chest

2

: the part of the body enclosed by the ribs and sternum