cheekbone

American  

[cheek-bohn] / ˈtʃikˌboʊn /

noun

1. the zygomatic bone.

2. the part of that bone below the eye forming the prominence of the cheek.

3. the area of the cheek overlying this bone.

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cheekbone British  

/ ˈtʃiːkˌbəʊn /

noun

1. the nontechnical name for zygomatic bone

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Etymology

Origin of cheekbone

before 1000; Middle English chekbon, Old English ceacban. See cheek, bone ( def. )

Example Sentences

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

Stokes is recovering from a broken cheekbone, suffered when he was hit by a ball while coaching Durham's academy players in early February.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

In just two minutes, the movie had delivered everything it promised: a snorting monkey, a sucker in a flowered shirt, a shot of an ominous tire swing and a closeup of a peeled cheekbone.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026

Edwards dislocated his left ring finger after his hand collided with Collins’ cheekbone.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 18, 2024

Most of her makeup had transferred itself to his own face or the bolster, but a light stain of rouge still brought out the beauty of her cheekbone.

From "1984" by George Orwell