cheek

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity.

   There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper, / That steals the colours from Bassanio's cheek: / Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world / Could turn so much the constitution / Of any constant man. What, worse and worse!— […]

2. 2
   noun

   Impudence.

   You’ve got some cheek, asking me for money!

3. 3
   noun

   One of the pieces of a machine, or of timber or stonework, that form corresponding sides or a similar pair.

   the cheeks of a vice

4. 4
   verb

   To be impudent towards.

   Don't cheek me, you little rascal!

5. 5
   verb

   To pull a horse's head back toward the saddle using the cheek strap of the bridle.

   Such horses might need to be "cheeked" for a while.

6. 6
   verb

   To put or keep something in one’s cheek.

   The squirrel cheeked some nuts before heading back to its nest.

7. 7
   noun

   impudent aggressiveness

8. 8
   noun

   either of the two large fleshy masses of muscular tissue that form the human rump

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”).