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.
“Do the commercials, bank the cheque, and think of the bigger picture,” his agent tells George when he complains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
"Kenyans were rightly concerned about whether this agreement was basically a blank cheque to American companies... to freely experiment or engage in Kenya without the normal public health guardrails," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
"We can't just give them a blank cheque or put the responsibility on council leaders when they're already restrained right now."
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
It said: "Customers can use our app to pay in cheques, visit any Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland branch, or get in touch with us about our freepost cheque deposit service."
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
“Let me just write you a cheque, just in case, you know? You don’t even have to cash it.”
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
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.
