cheek

American  

[cheek] / tʃik /

noun

• cheeks
  plural

1. either side of the face below the eye and above the jaw.

2. the side wall of the mouth between the upper and lower jaws.

3. something resembling the side of the human face in form or position, as either of two parts forming corresponding sides of various objects.

   the cheeks of a vise.

4. impudence or effrontery.

   He's got a lot of cheek to say that to me!

   Synonyms:

   gall, brass, audacity, nerve

5. Slang. either of the buttocks.

6. Architecture.

   1. one side of an opening, as a reveal.

   2. either of two similar faces of a projection, as a buttress or dormer.

7. Carpentry.

   1. a piece of wood removed from the end of a timber in making a tenon.

   2. a piece of wood on either side of a mortise.

8. one side of a hammer head.

9. Horology. one of two pieces placed on both sides of the suspension spring of a pendulum to control the amplitude of oscillation or to give the arc of the pendulum a cycloidal form.

10. one of the two main vertical supports forming the frame of a hand printing press.

11. Machinery. either of the sides of a pulley or block.

12. Nautical. either of a pair of fore-and-aft members at the lower end of the head of a lower mast, used to support trestletrees which in turn support a top and often the heel of a topmast; one of the hounds of a lower mast.

13. Metallurgy. any part of a flask between the cope and the drag.

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idioms

1. (with) tongue in cheek. tongue.

2. cheek by jowl, in close intimacy; side by side.

   a row of houses cheek by jowl.

cheek British  

/ tʃiːk /

noun

1. 1. either side of the face, esp that part below the eye

   2. either side of the oral cavity; side of the mouth

2. informal impudence; effrontery

3. informal (often plural) either side of the buttocks

4. (often plural) a side of a door jamb

5. nautical one of the two fore-and-aft supports for the trestletrees on a mast of a sailing vessel, forming part of the hounds

6. one of the jaws of a vice

7. close together; intimately linked

8. to be submissive and refuse to retaliate even when provoked or treated badly

9. See tongue

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verb

1. informal (tr) to speak or behave disrespectfully to; act impudently towards

cheek More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing cheek

• tongue in cheek
• turn the other cheek

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cheekless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cheeks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of cheek

before 900; Middle English cheke, Old English cē ( a ) ce; akin to Dutch kaak, Middle Low German kake

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Explanation

Your cheek is the part of your face under your eye and between your ear and nose. Your cheeks might turn bright red in embarrassment when you have to speak in public. When you cry, your cheeks get wet, and when you greet your grandmother, she might give you a kiss on the cheek or even pinch your cheek. Informally, your cheeks are also your buttocks or bottom — and when you're a little rude or sassy, your attitude itself can be called cheek. It comes from the Old English word ceace, "jaw," which probably stems from ceowan, "chew."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cheek cheeks

Still, the players did not turn the other cheek.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

Before Wang Cong faces off with her opponents, she dyes her hair green, paints her face white and draws a bright red grin from cheek to cheek.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

To continue to turn the other cheek now isn’t convenience; it’s cowardice, just as it always has been.

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026

Oxford maintained that he was innocent but agreed to give police a cheek swab for a DNA test.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

The sun was shining on my back, and the wind brushed my cheek like fingers.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

But Rembrandt’s eyes, mouth and cheeks turn toward and address us, as if his quivering lips might speak.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Now white haired with a neatly trimmed beard and sunken cheeks, Bakker’s once upbeat delivery and playful repartee with guests had been replaced by a grim figure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

In this alternate universe, beautiful people have pig snouts, distorted mouths, and sagging cheeks.

From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2026

"I work a lot harder than what it says on the scoreboard," the Englishman said after taking 100m breaststroke bronze at the Commonwealth Games, his eyes and cheeks red with emotion.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

His cheeks were tinged with grey, making the clan-tattoos stand out lividly.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

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