to pause or cause to pause, esp abruptly

to restrain or control

to slow the growth or progress of; retard

to rebuke or rebuff

to examine, investigate, or make an inquiry into (facts, a product, etc) for accuracy, quality, or progress, esp rapidly or informally

to mark off so as to indicate approval, correctness, or preference

to correspond or agree

to leave in or accept (clothing or property) for temporary custody

to place (an opponent's king) in check

to mark with a pattern of squares or crossed lines

to crack or cause to crack

to impede (an opponent)

(of hounds) to pause in the pursuit of quarry while relocating a lost scent

to change from one quarry to another while in flight

to decline the option of opening the betting in a round of poker

a break in progress; stoppage

a restraint or rebuff

a means or standard to ensure against fraud or error

the bill in a restaurant

a ticket or tag used to identify clothing or property deposited for custody

a pattern of squares or crossed lines

a single square in such a pattern

the state or position of a king under direct attack, from which it must be moved or protected by another piece

a small crack, as one in veneer or one that occurs in timber during seasoning

part of the action of a piano that arrests the backward motion of a hammer after it has struck a string and holds it until the key is released

a chip or counter used in some card and gambling games

a pause by the hounds in the pursuit of their quarry owing to loss of its scent

a ratchet fitted to a fishing reel to check the free running of the line

the act of impeding an opponent with one's body or stick

a call made to an opponent indicating that his or her king is in check

an expression of agreement