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• cheddar
  cheddar

  noun

  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.
• Cheddar
  Cheddar

  noun

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

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

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Etymology

Origin of cheddar

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

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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 This type of cheese was originally made in an English town called Cheddar — and it remains the most popular cheese in England, while it's second only to mozzarella in the US.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

See Examples For:

cheddar Cheddar

Gluten-free Goldfish are slightly crispier than the traditional crackers, executives said, but otherwise the cheddar cheese and spice taste is the same.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

Andrew Jackson once threw a party at the White House, and 10,000 Washington residents showed up to help themselves to whatever they could carve from a 1,000-pound block of cheddar cheese.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

All the introverted Tucker had to do was be his normal self with the understanding that no one expected him to live up to that Ohtani-type contract, that Juan Soto-esque dough, that Aaron Judge-level cheddar.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Spermidine is produced naturally by human cells and is also present in foods including wheat germ, mushrooms, parmesan, and cheddar.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

“I wouldn’t mind...a MetroCard for the subway, a good movie, some cheddar biscuits, and I’m good.”

From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi

The winning path follows the route of a disused Great Western Railway branch line which ran from Witham Junction to Yatton via Shepton Mallet, Wells and Cheddar.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

David Morris, who was shopping in Cheddar, said the situation was worrying.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

I plunked down at a gaming station and embarrassed myself playing “Mario Kart” over a lunch of Diet Coke and Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream chips.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

He is looking to open more international locations through franchising and aims to sell more Cheddar Bay Biscuit mixes and other branded goods in retail.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026

But like the crack of doom, the headwaiter’s voice rang out: “All be upstanding for Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cheddar Gorge!”

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

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