check·out

[chek-out]
noun
1.
the procedure of vacating and paying for one's quarters at a hotel.
2.
the time before which a hotel room must be vacated if another day's charge is not to be made.
3.
an examination of fitness for performance: The checkout of the new plane was successful.
4.
a series of sequential actions to familiarize oneself with new equipment.
5.
itemization and collection of amounts due for purchases: Retailers need to improve online checkout.
6.
Also called checkout counter. a counter where customers pay for purchases: The supermarket has five checkouts.
Also, check-out.

Origin:
1920–25, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase check out

00:10
Check out is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged

check

1 [chek] verb, noun, plural checks or for 40, chex, adjective, interjection
verb (used with object)
1.
to stop or arrest the motion of suddenly or forcibly: He checked the horse at the edge of the cliff.
2.
to restrain; hold in restraint or control: They built a high wall to check the tides.
3.
to cause a reduction, as in rate or intensity; diminish: The new measures checked the rapidity with which the epidemic was spreading.
4.
to investigate or verify as to correctness: She checked the copy against the original.
5.
to make an inquiry into, search through, etc.: We checked the files, but the letter was missing.
6.
to inspect or test the performance, condition, safety, etc., of (something): Check a used car thoroughly before buying it.
7.
to mark (something) so as to indicate examination, correctness, preference, etc. (often followed by off ): Please check the correct answer. They checked off the names of people they wanted to invite.
8.
to leave in temporary custody: Check your umbrellas at the door.
9.
to accept for temporary custody: We accept responsibility for any article we check here.
10.
to send (baggage) on a passenger's ticket, usually on the same carrier used by the passenger, for pickup at the destination: We checked two trunks through to Portland.
11.
to accept (baggage) for conveyance, and to convey, under the privilege of a passenger's ticket: Check this trunk to Portland.
12.
to mark with or in a pattern of squares: to check fabric.
13.
Agriculture. to plant in checkrows.
14.
Chess. to place (an opponent's king) under direct attack.
15.
Ice Hockey. to obstruct or impede the movement or progress of (an opponent). Compare back-check, fore-check.
verb (used without object)
16.
to prove to be right; correspond accurately: The reprint checks with the original, item for item.
17.
to make an inquiry, investigation, etc., as for verification (often followed by up, into, etc.): He checked to make sure his answer was correct. Check into the matter.
18.
to make a sudden stop; pause: The horse checked before he jumped.
19.
Chess. to make a move that puts the opponent's king under direct attack.
20.
to crack or split, usually in small checks: Painted surfaces may check with age.
21.
Poker. to decline to initiate the betting in a betting round, usually to force another player to make the first bet rather than raise it.
22.
Hunting. (of hounds) to stop, especially because the line of scent has been lost.
23.
Falconry. (of a hawk) to forsake the proper prey and follow baser game (followed by at ).
noun
24.
Also, British, cheque. Banking. a written order, usually on a standard printed form, directing a bank to pay money.
25.
a slip or ticket showing the amount owed, especially a bill for food or beverages consumed.
26.
a ticket or token that when matched with a counterpart identifies an article left in the temporary custody of another, the purchaser of a ticket, a person who is to be served next, etc.
27.
a criterion, standard, or means to insure against error, fraud, etc.: This handmade sample is a check that the machine-made samples have to match.
28.
an inquiry, search, or examination: We made a quick check but found nothing missing.
29.
Also called check mark. a mark, often indicated by (✓), as on a list, to indicate that something has been considered, acted upon, or approved.
30.
a person or thing that stops, limits, slows, or restrains: The increase of duty was an effective check on imports. He was a check on her enthusiasm.
31.
a sudden arrest or stoppage; repulse; rebuff: Taxation caused a check in the accumulation of vast fortunes.
32.
a control, test, or inspection that ascertains performance or prevents error: They ran a check on the dependability of the automobile.
33.
a pattern formed of squares, as on a checkerboard.
34.
one of the squares in such a pattern.
35.
a fabric having a check pattern.
36.
Chess. the exposure of the king to direct attack: The king was in check.
37.
Ice Hockey. any of several maneuvers designed to obstruct or impede the forward progress of an opponent. Compare board check, body check, cross-check ( def 5 ), hook check, poke check, sweep check.
38.
a counter used in card games, as the chip in poker.
39.
a small crack: There were several checks in the paint.
40.
an egg, designated for market, having a slightly cracked shell and an intact inner membrane.
41.
Masonry. a rabbet-shaped cutting on the edge of a stone, by which it is fitted to another stone.
42.
Hunting.
a.
the losing of the scent by a dog or pack.
b.
(in fox hunting) a period in a hunt, following the losing of the scent by the hounds, during which the field rests quietly while the hounds cast to regain the scent.
adjective
43.
serving to check, control, verify, etc.: a check system.
44.
ornamented with a checkered pattern; checkered: a check border.
interjection
45.
Chess. (used as a call to warn one's opponent that his or her king is exposed to direct attack, having just one move in which to escape or parry.)
46.
Informal. all right! agreed!
Verb phrases
47.
check in, to register, as at a hotel; indicate one's arrival or presence at a place, function, etc., usually by signing an appropriate form: We checked in at the reception desk.
48.
check onup on, to investigate, scrutinize, or inspect: Don't forget to check on his work. We have to check up on him.
49.
check out,
a.
to vacate and pay for one's quarters at a hotel.
b.
to verify or become verified; examine or investigate.
c.
to fulfill requirements, as by passing a test: The engine checked out and we proceeded on our way.
d.
to itemize, total the cost of, and collect payment for (a purchase): The supermarket cashier was exhausted from checking out groceries all day long.
e.
to have the cost added up and pay for merchandise.
f.
to borrow (an item) by having it listed as one's temporary responsibility: The adding machine was checked out in your name.
g.
Informal. to depart quickly or abruptly; leave in a hurry.
h.
Slang. to die.
50.
check over, to examine or investigate, especially thoroughly.
Idioms
51.
check the helm, Nautical. to alter the helm of a turning vessel to keep the bow from swinging too far or too rapidly.
52.
in check, under restraint: He held his anger in check.
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English chek, chekke (at chess) < Old French eschec (by aphesis), variant of eschac < Arabic shāh check (at chess) < Persian: literally, king (an exclamation: i.e., look out, your king is threatened); see shah

Related forms
check·less, adjective

Synonyms
1. See stop. 2. hinder, hamper, obstruct, curtail; chain, bridle, hobble. Check, curb, repress, restrain refer to putting a control on movement, progress, action, etc. Check implies arresting suddenly, halting or causing to halt: to check a movement toward reform. Curb implies the use of a means such as a chain, strap, frame, wall, etc., to guide or control or to force to stay within definite limits: to curb a horse. Repress formerly meaning to suppress, now implies preventing the action or development that might naturally be expected: to repress evidence of excitement. Restrain implies the use of force to put under control, or chiefly, to hold back: to restrain a person from violent acts. 6. examine. 16. agree. 25. receipt, tab, counterfoil. 26. coupon, tag, stub. 30. obstacle, obstruction, hindrance, restriction, restraint, impediment, control, deterrent; bar, barrier; damper; curb, bridle, bit, rein.

Antonyms
1. advance.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To check out
Collins
World English Dictionary
check (tʃɛk) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—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
 
—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
 
—interj
38.  chess a call made to an opponent indicating that his king is in check
39.  chiefly (US), (Canadian) an expression of agreement
 
[C14: from Old French eschec a check at chess, hence, a pause (to verify something), via Arabic from Persian shāh the king! (in chess)]
 
'checkable
 
—adj

check out
 
—vb
1.  (intr) to pay the bill and depart, esp from a hotel
2.  (intr) to depart from a place; record one's departure from work
3.  to investigate or prove to be in order after investigation: the police checked out all the statements; their credentials checked out
4.  informal (tr) to have a look at; inspect: check out the wally in the pink shirt
 
—n
5.  a.  the latest time for vacating a room in a hotel, etc
 b.  (as modifier): checkout time
6.  a counter, esp in a supermarket, where customers pay

cheque or (US) check (tʃɛk) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a bill of exchange drawn on a bank by the holder of a current account; payable into a bank account, if crossed, or on demand, if uncrossed
2.  (Austral), (NZ) the total sum of money received for contract work or a crop
3.  (Austral), (NZ) wages
 
[C18: from check, in the sense: a means of verification]
 
check or (US) check
 
—n
 
[C18: from check, in the sense: a means of verification]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

check
early 14c., from O.Fr. eschequier "a check at chess," from eschec, from V.L. *scaccus, from Arabic shah, from Pers. shah "king," the principal piece in a chess game (see shah). When the king is in check a player's choices are limited. Meaning widened from chess to general sense
of "adverse event, sudden stoppage" and by c.1700 to "a token used to check against loss or theft" (surviving in hat check) and "a check against forgery or alteration," which gave the modern financial use of "bank check, money draft" (first recorded 1798), probably influenced by exchequeur. Checking account is attested from 1923, Amer.Eng.

checkout
1944, from check + out. Originally "training given to a pilot for using a specific aircraft;" hotel sense is from 1958.

check
c.1400, in chess; see check (n.). All the other senses seem to have developed from this one: "To arrest, stop," late 14c.; "to hold in restraint" (1620s); "to hold up or control" (an assertion, a person, etc.) by comparison with some authority or record, 1690s (as a player
in chess limits his opponent's ability to move when he places his opponent's king in check). Hence, to check off (1839); to check up (1889); to check in or out (in a hotel, of a library book, etc.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary

check definition


  1. n.
    a dose of a drug in a capsule or folded in a paper. (Drugs.) : How much you want for a check?
  2. interj.
    okay; yes; yes, it is on the list. BILL: Four quarts of oil. TOM: Check. :
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

check (sth) out definition


  1. tv.
    to examine something; to think about something. : It's something we all have to be concerned with. Check it out.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

check out

  1. Record one's departure from a hotel by paying the bill, or from a conference or other function, as in As soon as my bags are packed I'll check out of the motel. [Early 1900s]

  2. Leave hurriedly, make a quick exit, as in The minute I get paid I'm checking out. [Slang; 1920s]

  3. Die, as in When he got cholera, he was sure he'd check out. [Slang; 1920s]

  4. Withdraw an item after recording the withdrawal, as in I'll check out the tapes on your library card. [1930s]

  5. Record, total the prices, and receive payment for a purchase, as in The cashier checked out and bagged my groceries in record time.

  6. check something or someone out. Investigate or evaluate something or someone; observe carefully. For example, I don't know if you'll like the film; check it out yourself, or That man who's staring is probably just checking us out. [Slang; mid-1900s]

  7. Pass close inspection, as in That rattle made me suspicious, but the repairman said the machine checked out completely.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
And especially, check out depleted uranium munitions.
The software lets a shopper fill a shopping cart with goods from numerous
  online stores and check out in one step.
But for the widest selection, check out nursery seed racks or order from seed
  companies.
If you don't know the city, check out this tilt-shift video.
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