cheese

¹ American  

[cheez] / tʃiz /

noun

1. the curd of milk separated from the whey and prepared in many ways as a food.

2. a definite mass of this substance, often in the shape of a wheel or cylinder.

3. something of similar shape or consistency, as a mass of pulpy apple residue in cider making.

4. Informal. partly digested milk curds sometimes spit up by infants.

5. cheeses, any of several mallows, especially Malva neglecta, a sprawling, weedy plant having small lavender or white flowers and round, flat, segmented fruits thought to resemble little wheels of cheese.

6. Slang: Vulgar. smegma.

7. Slang. money.

   I’m just trying to get my name out there and hopefully earn some cheese.

8. Metalworking.

   1. a transverse section cut from an ingot, as for making into a tire.

   2. an ingot or billet made into a convex, circular form by blows at the ends.

9. a low curtsy.

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verb (used without object)

cheesed, cheesing

1. Informal. (of infants) to spit up partly digested milk curds.

verb (used with object)

cheesed, cheesing

1. (in a game, especially a video game) to win (a battle round) by using a strategy that requires minimal skill and knowledge or that exploits a glitch or flaw in game design.

   He cheesed the fight by trapping his enemy in the environment and attacking without taking damage.

2. Metalworking. to forge (an ingot or billet) into a cheese.

idioms

1. cut the cheese, to expel gas from the stomach and bowels through the anus; fart.

cheese ² American  

[cheez] / tʃiz /

verb (used with object)

Slang.

cheesed, cheesing

1. to stop; desist.

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idioms

1. cheese it,

   1. look out!

   2. run away!

cheese ³ American  

[cheez] / tʃiz /

noun

Slang.

1. big cheese.

2. Slang. the cheese,

   1. a person or thing that is splendid or first-rate.

   2. something that is exactly what is wanted or required.

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cheese ¹ British  

/ tʃiːz /

noun

1. the curd of milk separated from the whey and variously prepared as a food

2. a mass or complete cake of this substance

3. any of various substances of similar consistency, etc

   lemon cheese

4. slang an important person

5. See chalk

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cheese ² British  

/ tʃiːz /

verb

1. (tr) to stop; desist

2. slang:prison (intr) to act in a grovelling manner

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cheese More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing cheese

• big cheese

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Etymology

Origin of cheese¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English chese, Old English cēse (cognate with Old Saxon and Old High German kāsi, German Käse ), from Germanic kasjus, from Latin cāseus

Origin of cheese²

First recorded in 1805–15; perhaps alteration of cease

Origin of cheese³

First recorded in 1835–40 cheese ³ for def. 2; 1895–1900 cheese ³ for def. 1; from Urdu chīz “thing, valuable thing,” from Persian cīz, from Old Persian cish(-ciy) “(some)thing”

Explanation

Cheese is a dairy product that's made from milk solids. Many delicious foods are made even more delicious with melted cheese, including pizza and nachos. Cheese is made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, or buffalo, and it's acidified before the solids are separated and pressed. There are many kinds of cheese, ranging from soft, spreadable cream cheese to hard parmesan. An old fashioned meaning of cheese is "stop" — you might say, "Cheese it!" This comes from 1800s thieves' slang, while the instruction a photographer gives, "Say cheese!" dates from the early 20th century.

Example Sentences

The Order: The Bacon, Egg & Cheese Stuffed Bagel makes the popular breakfast sandwich extra portable.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

We’re driving to Larchmont and we’re getting a sandwich at Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

It was meant to resemble Murray’s Cheese, the famous cheesemonger in New York City’s Greenwich Village, which Kroger bought in 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

Kraft Heinz, known for Heinz Ketchup, Kraft Mac and Cheese, Jell-O and Kool-Aid brands, reported a year-over-year sales decline for the ninth straight quarter, as sales in North America offset continued growth in overseas markets.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 11, 2026

Applebee’s is a chain of mid-quality restaurants serving “American food,” which essentially means that Everything Features Cheese.

From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green

Related Words

• confuse
• disguise
• distort
• exaggerate
• falsify
• misinterpret
• misstate
• overstate
• skew