chest

American  

[chest] / tʃɛst /

noun

• chests
  plural

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.

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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

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chest More Idioms  

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• chestful
  noun
• chested
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• chests
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of chest

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

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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

See Examples For:

chest chests

Kaminska recalled how he would return home more absent-minded, but with an acute need to get stuff off his chest and spend time with his daughter who became a teenager while he was away.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

After getting the message about Hegseth’s ghoulish plan, I closed Signal, made my travel arrangements with shaking hands, and pulled back onto the road with my heart jackhammering in my chest.

From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026

A radiographer failed to flag her abnormal chest X-ray to anyone on the ward, and the doctor did not review it immediately because she was in A&E reviewing another child.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

The SPHA’s largely Jewish team wore uniforms with Hebrew letters across the chest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Frabwick folded his arms across his huge, furry chest.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

According to several women reporters, security staff conducted unusual pat-downs of some women journalists to check whether they were wearing bras and might be Femen activists prepared to reveal chests painted with slogans.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

That would help Oracle avoid borrowing more money itself, keeping debt costs under control as the company competes against larger tech firms with bigger war chests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Everybody would grab their ice chests and pile into cars.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Thousands of people across South East Asia are now feeling the effects of those emissions in their eyes, chests and throats.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

Pita wrapped her arms tighter around Papá’s neck and she kissed his cheek, while Delia and Velia stood their ground with their arms crossed over their chests.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

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Related Words

• breast
• heart
• rib cage

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