cheese

¹ American  

[cheez] / tʃiz /

noun

1. the curd of milk separated from the whey and prepared in many ways as a food.

2. a definite mass of this substance, often in the shape of a wheel or cylinder.

3. something of similar shape or consistency, as a mass of pulpy apple residue in cider making.

4. Informal. partly digested milk curds sometimes spit up by infants.

5. cheeses, any of several mallows, especially Malva neglecta, a sprawling, weedy plant having small lavender or white flowers and round, flat, segmented fruits thought to resemble little wheels of cheese.

6. Slang: Vulgar. smegma.

7. Slang. money.

   I’m just trying to get my name out there and hopefully earn some cheese.

8. Metalworking.

   1. a transverse section cut from an ingot, as for making into a tire.

   2. an ingot or billet made into a convex, circular form by blows at the ends.

9. a low curtsy.

---

verb (used without object)

cheesed, cheesing

1. Informal. (of infants) to spit up partly digested milk curds.

verb (used with object)

cheesed, cheesing

1. (in a game, especially a video game) to win (a battle round) by using a strategy that requires minimal skill and knowledge or that exploits a glitch or flaw in game design.

   He cheesed the fight by trapping his enemy in the environment and attacking without taking damage.

2. Metalworking. to forge (an ingot or billet) into a cheese.

idioms

1. cut the cheese, to expel gas from the stomach and bowels through the anus; fart.

cheese ² American  

[cheez] / tʃiz /

verb (used with object)

Slang.

cheesed, cheesing

1. to stop; desist.

---

idioms

1. cheese it,

   1. look out!

   2. run away!

cheese ³ American  

[cheez] / tʃiz /

noun

Slang.

1. big cheese.

2. Slang. the cheese,

   1. a person or thing that is splendid or first-rate.

   2. something that is exactly what is wanted or required.

---

cheese ¹ British  

/ tʃiːz /

noun

1. the curd of milk separated from the whey and variously prepared as a food

2. a mass or complete cake of this substance

3. any of various substances of similar consistency, etc

   lemon cheese

4. slang an important person

5. See chalk

---

cheese ² British  

/ tʃiːz /

verb

1. (tr) to stop; desist

2. slang:prison (intr) to act in a grovelling manner

---

cheese More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing cheese

• big cheese

---

Etymology

Origin of cheese¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English chese, Old English cēse (cognate with Old Saxon and Old High German kāsi, German Käse ), from Germanic kasjus, from Latin cāseus

Origin of cheese²

First recorded in 1805–15; perhaps alteration of cease

Origin of cheese³

First recorded in 1835–40 cheese ³ for def. 2; 1895–1900 cheese ³ for def. 1; from Urdu chīz “thing, valuable thing,” from Persian cīz, from Old Persian cish(-ciy) “(some)thing”

Example Sentences

A hand-breaded chicken sandwich was dropped, and the chain standardized processes so cheese was layered onto all the chain’s burgers the same way.

From The Wall Street Journal

But she would eat the meat patties I had sent for myself, which had cheese and raisins and fat mixed in.

From Literature

My Domino’s order is a small pepperoni, pineapple, olives and sausage slice ... hand tossed, cheesed up, and then I will get a side of garlic knots and a side of buffalo wings with ranch.

From Los Angeles Times

Global food prices broke a five-month downward trend as rising wheat, vegetable oil and meat levels outweighed declines in cheese and sugar prices, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The deal will favor European exports of cars, wine and cheese, while making it easier for South American beef, poultry, sugar, rice, honey and soybeans to enter Europe.

From Barron's

Related Words

• confuse
• disguise
• distort
• exaggerate
• falsify
• misinterpret
• misstate
• overstate
• skew