Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One, such as an inspector or examiner, that checks.
  • noun One that receives items for temporary safekeeping or for shipment.
  • noun One of the round flat pieces used in the game of checkers.
  • noun A pattern of checks or squares.
  • noun One of the squares in such a pattern.
  • noun A cashier.
  • transitive verb To mark with a checked or squared pattern.
  • transitive verb To diversify (something) in color, shading, or character; variegate.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who checks, in any sense of the word.
  • To mark or decorate with squares of alternate color, like a checker-board; mark with different colors.
  • Figuratively, to variegate with different qualities, scenes, or events; diversify; impart variety to; give a character of both good and evil or happiness and unhappiness to.
  • noun One of many spots or markings, somewhat triangular in shape, on the wings of a pigeon.
  • noun A checker-board; a chess-board. See checker-board.
  • noun The game of chess.
  • noun plural A game played with twenty-four pieces or men on a board divided into sixty-four checks or squares.
  • noun A piece or man in the game of checkers.
  • noun A treasury; a court or bureau of revenue; an exchequer (which see).
  • noun A check-roll or list.
  • noun One of the squares of a checkered pattern; the pattern itself.
  • noun One of a number of spots giving to a surface a checkered appearance.
  • noun plural In architecture, stones in the facings of walls which have all their joints continued in straight lines without interruption or breaking of joints, thus presenting the appearance of checker-work.
  • noun An inn the sign-board of which was marked with checkers, probably to announce that draughts and backgammon were played within. Several houses marked with signs of this kind have been exhumed in Pompeii.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To mark with small squares like a checkerboard, as by crossing stripes of different colors.
  • transitive verb To variegate or diversify with different qualities, colors, scenes, or events; esp., to subject to frequent alternations of prosperity and adversity.
  • noun One who checks.
  • noun A piece in the game of draughts or checkers.
  • noun A pattern in checks; a single check.
  • noun Checkerwork.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun One who checks something.
  • noun The clerk who tallies cost of purchases and accepts payment.
  • noun A playing piece in the game of checkers (British: draughts).
  • verb transitive To mark in a pattern of alternating light and dark spots, like a checkerboard.
  • verb intransitive To develop markings in a pattern of alternating light and dark spots, like a checkerboard.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun one of the flat round pieces used in playing the game of checkers
  • noun one who checks the correctness of something
  • verb mark into squares or draw squares on; draw crossed lines on
  • verb variegate with different colors, shades, or patterns
  • noun an attendant who checks coats or baggage

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English cheker, chessboard, alteration of escheker, from Old French eschequier, from eschec, check in chess; see check.]

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