cheekbone
Americannoun
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the zygomatic bone.
-
the part of that bone below the eye forming the prominence of the cheek.
-
the area of the cheek overlying this bone.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cheekbone
before 1000; Middle English chekbon, Old English ceacban. See cheek, bone ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Its skull shows that these early snakes still had a cheekbone, also called the jugal bone, a feature that has almost completely disappeared in living snakes.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2026
He required what he described as "pretty major facial surgery" on a broken cheekbone, which has ruled him out of action until May.
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026
“They go around the cheekbone and are sanded on the bottom so it doesn’t rip the skin,” Vitti told The Times in 1994.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2024
Edwards dislocated his left ring finger after his hand collided with Collins’ cheekbone.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 18, 2024
She wanted to pin him down and write “She is here” right where his cheekbone met his earlobe.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
The dinosaur had large cheekbones, a broad braincase, and likely a short, deep snout.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2026
With cheekbones like his, the “Best Actor” hopeful had nowhere to go but down.
From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2026
Such is the burden for those with charm and perfect cheekbones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025
She wears Hedda’s lovely mask with confidence — red lips, lush cheekbones, cool demeanor — and periodically allows it to slip.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025
Dark circles under her eyes, sharp lines etching her cheekbones.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
