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:
Some of what you need may come from the market, especially at one with eggs, cheese, dairy or even pizza dough on offer; the rest can happily come from your pantry or the supermarket.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
The diet emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts, and olive oil — and limiting foods like red meat, cheese and sugar.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
“It’s time to stop thinking about cheese and yogurt,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
And later: how Italian bank vaults full of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese are dealing with the extreme heat.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026
She sniffed at the big pot of yellow cheese in the center of the table and pushed it across to Father.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
And — yes — not everyone is royally cheesed off.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 1, 2026
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 ● Mar. 6, 2026
"I'm a bit cheesed off, we've been looking forward to this for a long time."
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2023
But as a big phone convert, I’m cheesed that the SE only comes in one size.
From The Verge ● Mar. 10, 2022
Connie was a little cheesed off that I’d lied to her about being into government, but then I handed her a file folder.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
“I’m going to be cheesing from ear-to-ear,” she said about the upcoming ceremony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
“This is the coolest thing,” Godinez Woltman said just before snapping a photo of her daughter cheesing it up next to Juarez.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2022
He napped, and talked in his sleep, and then he woke up in conversation with himself, cheesing at the punch line.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 13, 2020
And cheesing a baby is a quick recipe for exactly that.
From Slate ● Mar. 1, 2019
“Man, no, she’s not my girlfriend. I just met her, forreal,” I said, even though I couldn’t stop myself from cheesing so hard it hurt.
From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds
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.
