cheekbone
Americannoun
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cheekbones
plural
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the zygomatic bone.
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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
After the discovery of a tumour which had grown into bone and nerves, surgeons removed her cheekbone and part of her nose, with her eye later requiring removal.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2024
Edwards dislocated his left ring finger after his hand collided with Collins’ cheekbone.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 18, 2024
But Sheaf, who frequently wore the captain's armband in the absence of Liam Kelly, picked up a hamstring injury and Allen fractured his cheekbone, leaving a gaping hole.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2024
I try to preserve the image of my mother and the hair sticking to her cheekbone for as long as I can.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
Little happens other than chain-smoking, costume changes and interminable shots of color-shifting strobe lighting splaying across the cast’s cheekbones.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
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
His firm, broad face showed weight-loss in deep shadows under the cheekbones, his eyes were sunken and his mouth sorely chapped and cracked.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
