chest

American  

[chest] / tʃɛst /

noun

1. Anatomy. the trunk of the body from the neck to the abdomen; thorax.

2. a box, usually with a lid, for storage, safekeeping of valuables, etc..

   a toy chest; a jewelry chest.

3. the place where the funds of a public institution or charitable organization are kept; treasury; coffer.

4. the funds themselves.

5. a box in which certain goods, as tea, are packed for transit.

6. the quantity contained in such a box.

   a chest of spices.

7. chest of drawers.

8. a small cabinet, especially one hung on a wall, for storage, as of toiletries and medicines.

   a medicine chest.

---

idioms

1. get (something) off one's chest, to relieve oneself of (problems, troubling thoughts, etc.) by revealing them to someone.

2. play it close to the chest. vest.

chest British  

/ tʃɛst /

noun

1. 1. the front part of the trunk from the neck to the belly

   2. ( as modifier )

      a chest cold

2. informal to unburden oneself of troubles, worries, etc, by talking about them

3. a box, usually large and sturdy, used for storage or shipping

   a tea chest

4. Also: chestful.  the quantity a chest holds

5. rare

   1. the place in which a public or charitable institution deposits its funds

   2. the funds so deposited

6. a sealed container or reservoir for a gas

   a wind chest

   a steam chest

---

chest More Idioms  

1. see off one's chest; play one's cards close to one's chest.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• chested
  adjective
• chestful
  noun

Etymology

Origin of chest

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cest, cist, from Latin cista, from Greek kístē “box”

Explanation

Your chest is the part of your body from your stomach to your neck. A bodybuilder or weightlifter is distinctive not only for his huge arms, but for his big, muscular chest. The character Tarzan is known for thumping his own chest while yelling — but if Tarzan gets a bad cold, he might cough so hard that his chest aches. Another kind of chest is a storage box with a connected lid that swings open. This is the oldest meaning of chest, from the Old English cest, "box or casket." The anatomical meaning comes from the idea that the ribs form a "box" — or a chest — around the internal organs.

Example Sentences

As director of the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training, known as CHEST, the professor was among a pioneering group of academics who worked to stem the spread of HIV.

From Washington Post • Jan. 28, 2023

The study appears in Thursday's editions of CHEST, a journal published by the American College of Chest Physicians.

From Time Magazine Archive

Related Words

• breast
• heart
• rib cage