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

Example Sentences

The agency has not issued a formal recall, though it has sent out a warning letter telling customers to avoid Raw Farm products purchased on or after Jan. 4, particularly raw milk cheddar cheese.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

They questioned what school she went to and laughed when she brought a bag of grated cheddar to a party, to contribute to the cheeseboard.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

“And if you really want to be clever, put a $5 bill inside. It’s impossible to stay mad when a little cheddar falls out of a card someone’s sent you.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

Fifty grams of cheese is roughly equal to two slices of cheddar or about half a cup of shredded cheese and is approximately 1.8 ounces.

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2025

“Did they make you run a maze with a big chunk of cheddar at the end?”

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass