cheek

From Middle English cheeke, cheke, cheoke, choke, from Old English ċēce, ċēace, ċēoce (“cheek; jaw”), from Proto-Germanic *kekǭ, *kēkǭ, *kakǭ, *kaukǭ, *keukǭ (“jaw; palate; pharynx”), 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”).

• enPR: chēk, IPA^(key): /tʃiːk/

• Audio (US)

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cheek (countable and uncountable, plural cheeks)

1. (anatomy) The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity.
   • 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act III Scene 2

     There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper,

     That steals the colours from Bassanio's cheek:

     Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world

     Could turn so much the constitution

     Of any constant man. What, worse and worse!— […]

2. (anatomy, informal, usually in the plural) A buttock.
3. (informal, uncountable) Impudence.

   You’ve got some cheek, asking me for money!

4. (biology, informal) One of the genae, flat areas on the sides of a trilobite's cephalon.
5. One of the pieces of a machine, or of timber or stonework, that form corresponding sides or a similar pair.

   the cheeks of a vice; the cheeks of a gun carriage

6. (in the plural) The branches of a bridle bit.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)

7. (metalworking) The middle section of a flask, made so that it can be moved laterally, to permit the removal of the pattern from the mould.

• (side of the face): wang
• (buttock): arsecheek, asscheek, butt cheek, nether cheek
• (impudence): impertinence, impudence, brass neck (slang), nerve (informal), sass (informal, especially US)
• (gena): gena

• buccal
• genal

cheek (third-person singular simple present cheeks, present participle cheeking, simple past and past participle cheeked)

1. To be impudent towards.
   • 1942, Emily Carr, The Book of Small, "Sunday,"

     We did not like him much because he kissed us and was preachy when we cheeked pretty Tallie, who did not rule over us as Dede did […]

   Don't cheek me, you little rascal!

• Keech, keech