cheque
Britishnoun
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a bill of exchange drawn on a bank by the holder of a current account; payable into a bank account, if crossed, or on demand, if uncrossed
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the total sum of money received for contract work or a crop
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wages
Etymology
Origin of cheque
C18: from check , in the sense: a means of verification
Explanation
A cheque is a written order directing a bank to pay out money, and it's exactly the same thing as a check, but with more exciting letters. The American English word for the slip of paper that authorizes your bank to make a payment is check, which is the adjusted spelling of the British English cheque. That word comes from exchequer which is like a bank, and so a cheque is a note that has the seal of the bank: an official piece of paper. Cheque can be used as a verb meaning "withdraw."
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.
Each Nobel prize comes with a diploma, a gold medal and a cheque for $1.2 million, to be presented on December 10.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
"This does not mean a blank cheque for Big Tech. Developers must use water responsibly, and new developments must be considered through the planning system."
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
The Nobel Prize consists of a diploma, a gold medal and a cheque for around $1.2 million, to be shared if there is more than one laureate in each discipline.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
She was excited about an advertising campaign she was going to shoot and showed her parents a photo of the cheque she had received as advance remuneration.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Should the charge be less than this amount, you can return balance; if greater, we shall at once send cheque for difference on hearing from you.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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.
