chest
Anatomy. the trunk of the body from the neck to the abdomen; thorax.
a box, usually with a lid, for storage, safekeeping of valuables, etc.: a toy chest; a jewelry chest.
the place where the funds of a public institution or charitable organization are kept; treasury; coffer.
the funds themselves.
a box in which certain goods, as tea, are packed for transit.
the quantity contained in such a box: a chest of spices.
a small cabinet, especially one hung on a wall, for storage, as of toiletries and medicines: a medicine chest.
Idioms about chest
get (something) off one's chest, Informal. to relieve oneself of (problems, troubling thoughts, etc.) by revealing them to someone.
play it close to the chest. vest (def. 16).
Origin of chest
1Other words from chest
- chest·ful [chest-fool], /ˈtʃɛst fʊl/, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use chest in a sentence
Always it reminds me of those lovely chestfuls of gold that Captain Kidd buried—no one seems to know just where.
The Story of Mary MacLane | Mary MacLaneBy no other right, madam: we have twelve chestfuls, any one or all of which I am bound to render up to your order.
Mary Anerley | R. D. Blackmore
British Dictionary definitions for chest
/ (tʃɛst) /
the front part of the trunk from the neck to the belly: Related adjective: pectoral
(as modifier): a chest cold
get something off one's chest informal to unburden oneself of troubles, worries, etc, by talking about them
a box, usually large and sturdy, used for storage or shipping: a tea chest
Also: chestful the quantity a chest holds
rare
the place in which a public or charitable institution deposits its funds
the funds so deposited
a sealed container or reservoir for a gas: a wind chest; a steam chest
Origin of chest
1Derived forms of chest
- chested, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with chest
see off one's chest; play one's cards close to one's chest.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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