Meanings
-
1
noun
The soft part of the face below each eye and beside the nose and mouth.
Tears ran down her cheeks as she said goodbye.
-
2
noun
Rude or disrespectful boldness.
You've got some cheek, asking me for money after what you did!
-
3
verb
To speak rudely or disrespectfully to someone.
Don't cheek your teacher like that!
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English cheeke, cheke, cheoke, choke, from Old English ċēce, ċēace, ċēoce (“cheek; jaw”), from Proto-West Germanic *kākā, *keukā (“jaw, cheek”), from Proto-Germanic *kēkǭ, *keukǭ (“jaw; palate; pharynx”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ǵyewh₁- (“to chew”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Sooke (“cheek”), West Frisian tsjeak (“jaw”), Dutch kaak (“jaw; cheek”), Swedish käke (“jaw; jowl”), Norwegian kjake (“jaw”), Old Norse kók (“mouth; gullet”).