cheddar

American  

[ched-er] / ˈtʃɛd ər /

noun

1. Also called cheddar cheese.  Often Cheddar a hard, smooth-textured cheese, made usually from the whole milk of cows and varying in color from white to deep yellow and in flavor from mild to sharp as it ages.

2. Slang. money.

   The monthly grand prize is $200, and the yearly grand prize is $1,000—that's a lot of cheddar.

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Cheddar British  

/ ˈtʃɛdə /

noun

1. (sometimes not capital) any of several types of smooth hard yellow or whitish cheese

2. a village in SW England, in N Somerset: situated near Cheddar Gorge , a pass through the Mendip Hills renowned for its stalactitic caverns and rare limestone flora. Pop: 4796 (2001)

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Other Word Forms

• cheddary adjective

Etymology

Origin of cheddar

First recorded in 1655–65; named after Cheddar, village in Somersetshire, England, where the cheese was first made

Explanation

Cheddar is a common type of hard cheese. You might use cheddar to make your favorite grilled cheese sandwich. Cheddar ranges in flavor from very mild and smooth to a tangy, sharp taste, and it's color can be anything between a creamy white and a deep orange. This type of cheese was originally made in an English town called Cheddar — and it remains the most popular cheese in England, while it's second only to mozzarella in the US.

Example Sentences

Two whose illness started in late 2025 said they drank Raw Farm’s raw milk, and five who fell sick in 2026 had eaten the company’s raw cheddar.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

"Tell me if this is weird or if it's real. They would melt cheddar cheese on their apple pie."

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026

Nationally, a pound of chicken breast cost $4.15 and cheddar cheese cost $5.79 a pound, both little changed from a year earlier, according to the Labor Department.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

High-fat cheeses are defined as having more than 20% fat and include common types such as cheddar, Brie and Gouda.

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2025

She loaded the tray with plates of cold sliced tongue, cheddar cheese, brown bread, and a bowl of pickles.

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson