Cheka

American  

[che-kah] / ˈtʃɛ kɑ /

noun

1. (in the Soviet Union) the state secret-police organization (1917–22), succeeded by the GPU.

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Cheka British  

/ ˈtʃɛka /

noun

1. Russian history the secret police set up in 1917 by the Bolshevik government: reorganized in the Soviet Union in Dec 1922 as the GPU

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Other Word Forms

• Chekist
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of Cheka

1920–25; < Russian Cheká, Vecheká, names of the initial letters of Vserossíĭskaya chrezvycháĭnaya Kommíssiya ( po bor'bé s kontrarevolyútsieĭ, spekulyátsieĭ i sabotázhem ) All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (for the Struggle against Counterrevolution, Speculation and Sabotage)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Cheka

As a prominent class enemy Emanuel was certainly in danger, as were his half-brothers Gösta and Emil, who worked for the business and were briefly detained by the Cheka.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

The head of the Cheka, Felix Dzerzhinsky, brought 1,400 men into Ukraine to deal with unrest.

From Slate ● Dec. 19, 2019

Her action coincided with a day honoring the agency’s employees, which falls on the anniversary of the creation of the Bolshevik secret police, the Cheka.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 21, 2017

The Cheka was one of the former names of the KGB.

From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2015

We could very easily have met this expedition and we were not quite assured that the soldiers would be so appreciative of our high-sounding phrases as were the members of the "Cheka."

From Beasts, Men and Gods by Ferdinand Ossendowski

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