chest

American  

[chest] / tʃɛst /

noun

• chests
  plural

1. Anatomy. the trunk of the body from the neck to the abdomen; thorax.

2. a box, usually with a lid, for storage, safekeeping of valuables, etc..

   a toy chest; a jewelry chest.

3. the place where the funds of a public institution or charitable organization are kept; treasury; coffer.

4. the funds themselves.

5. a box in which certain goods, as tea, are packed for transit.

6. the quantity contained in such a box.

   a chest of spices.

7. chest of drawers.

8. a small cabinet, especially one hung on a wall, for storage, as of toiletries and medicines.

   a medicine chest.

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idioms

1. get (something) off one's chest, to relieve oneself of (problems, troubling thoughts, etc.) by revealing them to someone.

2. play it close to the chest. vest.

chest British  

/ tʃɛst /

noun

1. 1. the front part of the trunk from the neck to the belly

   2. ( as modifier )

      a chest cold

2. informal to unburden oneself of troubles, worries, etc, by talking about them

3. a box, usually large and sturdy, used for storage or shipping

   a tea chest

4. Also: chestful.  the quantity a chest holds

5. rare

   1. the place in which a public or charitable institution deposits its funds

   2. the funds so deposited

6. a sealed container or reservoir for a gas

   a wind chest

   a steam chest

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chest More Idioms  

1. see off one's chest; play one's cards close to one's chest.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• chestful
  noun
• chested
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• chests
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chest

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cest, cist, from Latin cista, from Greek kístē “box”

Explanation

Your chest is the part of your body from your stomach to your neck. A bodybuilder or weightlifter is distinctive not only for his huge arms, but for his big, muscular chest. The character Tarzan is known for thumping his own chest while yelling — but if Tarzan gets a bad cold, he might cough so hard that his chest aches. Another kind of chest is a storage box with a connected lid that swings open. This is the oldest meaning of chest, from the Old English cest, "box or casket." The anatomical meaning comes from the idea that the ribs form a "box" — or a chest — around the internal organs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chest chests

And Paxton has noted that the expensive primary runoff left his coffers more depleted than those of Talarico, who could afford to spend the spring stockpiling his war chest after winning his March primary.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

In later deposits, for example, some individuals were buried with both arms crossed over the chest in what Egyptologists call the Osirian position.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026

UBTech launched its "U1" robot -- equipped with eye cameras, chest sensors, and listening microphones -- earlier this year, touting the model as the world's first full-sized, ultra-realistic humanoid designed for mass production.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

With your feet flat on the floor and your back straight — and arms still crossed over your chest — stand all the way up and sit back down.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

I bristled as she pulled my braid around and laid it on my chest.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Gaggles of British tourists with fur coats and spray tans jostled for seating, clutching their outerwear to their chests for space as they scouted for a table to open up.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

"Last year we could swim across but now the water only comes up to our chests," said 71-year-old Doru, pointing to an island in the river.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

McAfee, not fully grasping why people would want to drink milk that was unpasteurized, nonetheless went to his silo, filled half-gallon containers and packed them in ice chests.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Audience: Gen Xers and millennial kids who had boomer hand-me-downs in their toy chests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

They swam in the pool and helped with cookouts and laughed hysterically, clutching their chests.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Related Words

• breast
• heart
• rib cage