check (tʃɛk) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) |
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| —vb (when intr, often foll by on or up on) (often foll by with) (foll by at) |
| 1. | to pause or cause to pause, esp abruptly |
| 2. | (tr) to restrain or control: to check one's tears |
| 3. | (tr) to slow the growth or progress of; retard |
| 4. | (tr) to rebuke or rebuff |
| 5. | to examine, investigate, or make an inquiry into (facts, a product, etc) for accuracy, quality, or progress, esp rapidly or informally |
| 6. | chiefly (US), (Canadian) (tr) Usual Brit word: tick to mark off so as to indicate approval, correctness, or preference |
| 7. | chiefly (US), (Canadian) to correspond or agree: this report checks with the other |
| 8. | chiefly (US), (Canadian), (NZ) (tr) to leave in or accept (clothing or property) for temporary custody |
| 9. | chess to place (an opponent's king) in check |
| 10. | (tr) to mark with a pattern of squares or crossed lines |
| 11. | to crack or cause to crack |
| 12. | agriculture short for checkrow |
| 13. | (tr) ice hockey to impede (an opponent) |
| 14. | (intr) hunting (of hounds) to pause in the pursuit of quarry while relocating a lost scent |
| 15. | falconry to change from one quarry to another while in flight |
| 16. | (intr) to decline the option of opening the betting in a round of poker |
| 17. | nautical check the helm to swing back the helm of a vessel to prevent it from turning too quickly or too far |
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| —n |
| 18. | a break in progress; stoppage |
| 19. | a restraint or rebuff |
| 20. | a. a person or thing that restrains, halts, etc |
| | b. (as modifier): a check line |
| 21. | a. a control, esp a rapid or informal one, designed to ensure accuracy, progress, etc |
| | b. (as modifier): a check list |
| 22. | a means or standard to ensure against fraud or error |
| 23. | the US word for tick |
| 24. | the US spelling of cheque |
| 25. | chiefly (US) the bill in a restaurant |
| 26. | chiefly (US), (Canadian) a ticket or tag used to identify clothing or property deposited for custody |
| 27. | a pattern of squares or crossed lines |
| 28. | a single square in such a pattern |
| 29. | a. fabric with a pattern of squares or crossed lines |
| | b. (as modifier): a check suit |
| 30. | chess the state or position of a king under direct attack, from which it must be moved or protected by another piece |
| 31. | a small crack, as one in veneer or one that occurs in timber during seasoning |
| 32. | part of the action of a piano that arrests the backward motion of a hammer after it has struck a string and holds it until the key is released |
| 33. | a chip or counter used in some card and gambling games |
| 34. | hunting a pause by the hounds in the pursuit of their quarry owing to loss of its scent |
| 35. | angling a ratchet fitted to a fishing reel to check the free running of the line |
| 36. | ice hockey the act of impeding an opponent with one's body or stick |
| 37. | in check under control or restraint |
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| —interj |
| 38. | chess a call made to an opponent indicating that his king is in check |
| 39. | chiefly (US), (Canadian) an expression of agreement |
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| [C14: from Old French eschec a check at chess, hence, a pause (to verify something), via Arabic from Persian shāh the king! (in chess)] |
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| 'checkable |
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| —adj |