cheek

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity.
2. (countable, informal, plural-normally, uncountable) The lower part of the buttocks that is often exposed beneath very brief underwear, swimwear, or extremely short shorts.
3. (figuratively, informal, uncountable) Impudence.
4. (countable, informal, uncountable) One of the genae, flat areas on the sides of a trilobite's cephalon.
5. (countable, uncountable) One of the pieces of a machine, or of timber or stonework, that form corresponding sides or a similar pair.
6. (countable, uncountable) One of the pieces of a machine, or of timber or stonework, that form corresponding sides or a similar pair.
7. (countable, in-plural, uncountable) The branches of a bridle bit.
8. (countable, uncountable) Either side of an axehead.
9. (countable, uncountable) The middle section of a flask, made so that it can be moved laterally, to permit the removal of the pattern from the mould.

Verb

1. To be impudent towards.
2. To pull a horse's head back toward the saddle using the cheek strap of the bridle.
3. To put or keep something in one’s cheek.

Synonyms

jaw

impudence

face

insolence

impertinence

effrontery

side of face

nerve

buttock

jowl

audacity

cheeks

brass

rudeness

bun

middle flask

boldness

bucca

cheekiness

buttocks

cheekbone

gill

gluteus

haunch

impoliteness

insolent

irreverence

jamb

jaws

lower jaw

nates

perkiness

post

presuming

profanity

raciness

recklessness

ribaldry

rim

rump

sauce

scandalousness

shamelessness

side

side piece

spiciness

tail

talkativeness

temple

temples

Translations

joue

guancia

mejilla

Wange

Backe

wang

galta

bochecha

μάγουλο

bucca

gota

fesse

Frechheit

kaak

Pronounced as (IPA)

/t͡ʃiːk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: cheeke

Inherited from Old English: ċēce

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Sooke

Cognate with Western Frisian: tsjeak

Cognate with Dutch: kaak

Cognate with Swedish: käke

Cognate with Norwegian: kjake

Cognate with Old Norse: kók

In summary

From Middle English cheeke, cheke, cheoke, choke, from Old English ċēce, ċēace, ċēoce (“cheek; jaw”), from Proto-West Germanic *kākā, *keukā (“jaw, cheek”), from Proto-Germanic *kēkǭ, *keukǭ (“jaw; palate; pharynx”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ǵyewh₁- (“to chew”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Sooke (“cheek”), West Frisian tsjeak (“jaw”), Dutch kaak (“jaw; cheek”), Swedish käke (“jaw; jowl”), Norwegian kjake (“jaw”), Old Norse kók (“mouth; gullet”).