cheese
1 Americannoun
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the curd of milk separated from the whey and prepared in many ways as a food.
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a definite mass of this substance, often in the shape of a wheel or cylinder.
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something of similar shape or consistency, as a mass of pulpy apple residue in cider making.
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Informal. partly digested milk curds sometimes spit up by infants.
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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.
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Slang: Vulgar. smegma.
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Slang. money.
I’m just trying to get my name out there and hopefully earn some cheese.
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Metalworking.
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a transverse section cut from an ingot, as for making into a tire.
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an ingot or billet made into a convex, circular form by blows at the ends.
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a low curtsy.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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(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.
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Metalworking. to forge (an ingot or billet) into a cheese.
idioms
verb (used with object)
idioms
noun
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Slang. the cheese,
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a person or thing that is splendid or first-rate.
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something that is exactly what is wanted or required.
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noun
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the curd of milk separated from the whey and variously prepared as a food
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a mass or complete cake of this substance
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any of various substances of similar consistency, etc
lemon cheese
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slang an important person
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See chalk
verb
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(tr) to stop; desist
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slang:prison (intr) to act in a grovelling manner
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”
Explanation
Cheese is a dairy product that's made from milk solids. Many delicious foods are made even more delicious with melted cheese, including pizza and nachos. Cheese is made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, or buffalo, and it's acidified before the solids are separated and pressed. There are many kinds of cheese, ranging from soft, spreadable cream cheese to hard parmesan. An old fashioned meaning of cheese is "stop" — you might say, "Cheese it!" This comes from 1800s thieves' slang, while the instruction a photographer gives, "Say cheese!" dates from the early 20th century.
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:
I usually get the trifecta with the waffle, the scrambled eggs with cheese and the million-dollar bacon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Their milk has a high butterfat content that makes a much-coveted cheese.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
But she’d get the black beans and rice and tortillas and cheese and mix it all together.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The turkey was fine, and the cheese was technically cheese, though the sandwich had achieved the improbable condition of being simultaneously refrigerator-cold and slightly melted.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
The scent of alfredo bread bowls and parmesan cheese remains from our pizza party this evening.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
And — yes — not everyone is royally cheesed off.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 1, 2026
"I'm a bit cheesed off, we've been looking forward to this for a long time."
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2023
Should this be the case, it’s understandable why Wear OS users are cheesed.
From The Verge ● Jan. 12, 2022
“Yeah, I could have went and kissed ass, cheesed, grinned. They said: ‘Play nice, and we can get you a job.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 20, 2018
Grandpop cheesed and reached out for Ernie’s hand.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
“I’m going to be cheesing from ear-to-ear,” she said about the upcoming ceremony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
Was he still enjoying himself, still cheesing ear-to-ear under a COVID-required face mask?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2021
I was friendly with one of the waiters, and he smiled my way, then he said something to my visitor in Mandarin, and my visitor only shook his head, cheesing.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 13, 2020
It can’t be easy to be constantly cheesing for tourists’ pics, but guess what, his holiness?
From Slate ● May 16, 2018
But this time, he’s wearing it around his head like Rambo, cheesing for the camera.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
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.
