check /chek/

1. To verify, often by comparison
2. To bring to a stop
3. To restrain or hinder
4. To rebuke
5. To punch (eg a ticket)
6. To tick (N American)
7. To nip, pinch, crush, as by biting or shutting (also chack; Scot)
8. To deposit or receive in exchange for a check
9. To send (baggage) on a passenger's ticket (N American)
10. In chess, to place in check
11. To mark with a pattern of crossing lines

1. To make investigations
2. To come to a stop
3. To forsake the quarry for some other bird (with at; falconry)
4. To decline the option of opening the betting (poker)

1. A means of verification or testing, eg to evaluate the standard of something
2. Anything that checks
3. A sudden stop, repulse or rebuff
4. In chess, a position when a player's king is exposed to attack and so must be protected or moved
5. In certain games, a stopping of an opposing player's forward progress
6. Restraint
7. Control
8. A rebuke, a reprimand (obsolete)
9. A mark put against items in a list
10. A tick (N American)
11. An order to transfer money (usu written cheque except US)
12. Any token or ticket used as security, to indicate ownership, etc, a counterfoil
13. A ticket or token, given to show that a person has paid, eg for admission (see also raincheck under rain¹)
14. A restaurant bill
15. A counter used in games at cards (hence pass in one's checks to die)
16. A pattern of cross lines forming small squares, as in a chessboard
17. Any fabric woven with such a pattern
18. A mechanism that holds a piano hammer after striking
19. A small crack in veneer, timber, etc

Divided into small squares by crossing lines

checkˈable adjective

checked adjective

Having a check pattern

checkˈer noun

1. Someone who hinders, rebukes or scrutinizes
2. A cashier
3. A cloakroom attendant (N American)
4. (in pl; N American) the game of draughts

checkˈy or cheˈquy adjective (heraldry)

Chequered

check action noun

Piano action with checks

check box noun (computing)

A square on a screen on which the user can click the mouse to activate a particular feature

checkˈbook noun (N American)

A chequebook

checkˈclerk noun

A clerk who checks accounts, etc

check digit noun (computing)

A redundant bit in a stored word, used in a self-checking procedure such as a parity check

checked square noun

A square in a crossword that belongs to the solution of two clues

checkˈerboard noun

A checked board on which checkers or draughts is played

checkˈ-in see check in below.

checking account noun (N American)

A current account

checkˈ-key noun

A latch-key

checkˈlist noun

1. A list for verification purposes
2. A comprehensive list
3. An inventory

checkmate noun see separate entry.

checkˈ-off see check off below.

checkˈout noun

1. The cash desk where goods bought in a supermarket, etc are paid for
2. The act of checking out (see below)

checkˈpoint noun

A place where an official check of documents, etc is made

checkˈrail noun

An inner rail on a railway track that prevents a train from being derailed, esp when going round corners (also guardrail)

checkˈrein noun

A bearing rein, a strap hindering a horse from lowering its head

checkˈroom or checkˈing-room noun (N American)

A cloakroom, luggage room or room where goods are checked

checkˈ-string noun

A string by which the occupant of a carriage may attract the driver's notice

checkˈsum noun (computing)

An error-detection system in which a figure signifying the number of bits is transmitted along with data so that the receiving device can verify the accuracy of the data received

checkˈ-takˈer noun

Someone who takes tickets

checkˈ-till noun

A till that records sums received

checkˈ-up noun

1. A testing scrutiny
2. A medical examination, esp one of a series of regular examinations

checkˈweigher or checkweigh man noun

A colliery worker who, on behalf of the miners, checks the weight of coal sent up to the pit-mouth

check in

1. To record one's arrival at work
2. To register one's arrival at a hotel, airport, etc (checkˈ-in noun)

check off

1. To mark off on a list, usu with a tick, as having arrived, been completed, etc
2. To deduct (trade union dues) from a worker's pay before he or she receives it (N American; checkˈ-off noun)

check out

1. To record one's departure from work
2. To depart, having paid one's bill, etc, from a hotel, etc
3. To investigate, examine or test
4. To look at or inspect (slang; checkˈ-out or checkˈout noun)

checks and balances

A system of competition and mutual restraint that curbs the potential of individuals to abuse power

check up

1. To investigate
2. To examine and test (often with on)

hold or keep in check

To restrain, control or keep back

• petrographies
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