check
check
Pronunciation
/tʃɛk/.
/tʃ/ - The "ch" sound, a voiceless palato-alveolar affricate.
/ɛ/ - The "e" sound, a front open-mid unrounded vowel.
/k/ - The "ck" sound, a voiceless velar stop.
Word Form Variations
As a Noun:
Singular: check (e.g., "I need to do a quick check of the engine.")
Plural: checks (e.g., "The safety checks are performed daily.")
Note: When referring to a written order to a bank, "cheque" is the common British English spelling for the noun, while "check" is the American English spelling.
As a Verb:
Base Form / Infinitive: check (e.g., "Please check your work.")
Third-person singular present: checks (e.g., "He checks his email every hour.")
Past Simple: checked (e.g., "I checked the door before leaving.")
Past Participle: checked (e.g., "The report has been checked and approved.")
Present Participle / Gerund: checking (e.g., "She is checking the inventory." or "Checking the numbers is crucial.")
Other related forms/uses:
Adjective: checked (e.g., "a checked shirt" referring to a pattern, or "the item was checked off the list")
Phrasal Verbs: "Check" is also part of many phrasal verbs, which create new meanings:
check in (e.g., "We need to check in at the hotel.")
check out (e.g., "Please check out of the hotel by noon." or "He wanted to check out the new restaurant.")
check off (e.g., "Check off each item as you pack it.")
check on (e.g., "I'll check on the children.")
check up on (e.g., "She likes to check up on her employees.")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
1. A verification or examination performed to ensure accuracy, quality, or proper functioning.
Synonyms: inspection, scrutiny, audit, review, assessment, examination
Antonyms: oversight, neglect, omission, disregard
2. A sudden, often temporary, halt or impediment to progress, growth, or action.
Synonyms: stoppage, halt, pause, setback, hindrance, impediment, restraint
Antonyms: progression, advancement, acceleration, impetus
3. A pattern consisting of squares, typically of alternating colors, or fabric featuring such a pattern.
Synonyms: plaid, grid, tessellation, checkerboard (pattern specific)
Antonyms: (no direct antonyms for a pattern; perhaps 'solid' or 'plain' for fabric)
4. A written order to a bank instructing it to pay a specified sum of money from the drawer's account to a named person or bearer.
Synonyms: cheque (British English), draft, money order (similar concept but distinct instrument), bill of exchange
Antonyms: (no direct antonyms for this financial instrument)
5. In chess, a direct attack on the king, threatening its capture in the next move.
Synonyms: threat (in context of chess), attack (specific to king)
Antonyms: safe position, defense (in chess context)
6. A mark (✓) indicating that something has been verified, completed, or selected.
Synonyms: tick (British English), mark, verification mark, confirmation mark
Antonyms: cross (✖), x-mark (indicating error or non-selection)
7. (Informal) The bill for food or drinks at a restaurant or bar.
Synonyms: bill, tab, reckoning (older usage)
Antonyms: payment (as in, the act of paying the check), receipt (the proof of payment, not the request for it)
Verb
1. To examine something carefully in order to verify its accuracy, quality, or condition.
Synonyms: inspect, verify, scrutinize, examine, review, confirm, test, ensure
Antonyms: overlook, neglect, disregard, ignore, miss
2. To stop or slow the progress of something; to restrain or hold back.
Synonyms: halt, curb, impede, restrict, restrain, control, deter, stem
Antonyms: advance, accelerate, promote, encourage, facilitate, unleash
3. To make a mark (✓) against an item on a list to indicate that it has been dealt with or confirmed.
Synonyms: tick (British English), mark off, confirm, acknowledge, register
Antonyms: cross out, delete, unmark
4. To ensure that something is satisfactory or in order before proceeding; to investigate or ascertain.
Synonyms: ascertain, determine, find out, investigate, inquire, verify
Antonyms: assume, presume, guess, speculate
5. (In chess) To place an opponent's king under direct attack.
Synonyms: threaten (king), attack (king)
Antonyms: defend (king), cover (king)
6. To leave (luggage) with an airline or other carrier for transport.
Synonyms: tag (for luggage), stow (less common in this context), consign (formal)
Antonyms: carry-on, retrieve (after transport)
Adjective
1. Having a pattern of squares, typically of alternating colors; patterned with checks.
Synonyms: plaid, checkered, squared, tessellated
Antonyms: plain, solid, unpatterned
2. (Of a condition or item) Verified or confirmed as correct and satisfactory.
Synonyms: verified, confirmed, approved, clear, in order, correct
Antonyms: unverified, unconfirmed, incorrect, faulty, rejected
Examples of Use
Books:
"He went over the figures again, a quick check for any missed entries before sending the report." (Fictional business novel)
"The detective ran a background check on the new suspect, hoping to find a lead." (Crime novel)
"The old house was filled with dusty, checked curtains that billowed in the breeze." (Descriptive passage in a novel)
Newspapers:
"The government announced a new initiative to check the spread of misinformation online." (Headline or article from a major newspaper, e.g., The New York Times or The Guardian)
"Analysts suggest a market correction is a healthy check on speculative bubbles." (Financial news, e.g., The Wall Street Journal)
"The audit revealed several discrepancies, leading to a closer check of the company's books." (Business section of a newspaper)
Online Publications:
"Before you buy, always check product reviews to ensure quality and compatibility." (Tech review site or e-commerce advice blog)
"Our fact-check team debunked the viral claim, proving it to be false." (Fact-checking website, e.g., Snopes or PolitiFact)
"Don't forget to check in with your flight status before heading to the airport." (Travel website or airline announcement)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television Series (e.g., Medical Dramas): "Let's run some more tests and check her vitals again." (Dialogue in Grey's Anatomy or House M.D)
Film: "I need you to run a check on all security cameras from last night." (Dialogue in a thriller or heist film, referring to an investigation)
Video Games (e.g., RPGs): "You found a locked chest. Do you have a key to check if it opens?" (On-screen text or dialogue in games like The Elder Scrolls or Fallout, meaning to try or verify)
Podcasts (e.g., True Crime): "We're going to check in with our expert next week to discuss the latest developments." (Host's announcement, meaning to consult with or connect)
Social Media (e.g., Twitter/X): "Just finished my workout! Time to check my progress." (User post, referring to reviewing one's own status)
Music Lyrics (example, common trope): "I got my paper, my check / Living life with no regret." (Hip-hop/Rap lyrics, referring to a paycheck or money)
Board Games (e.g., Chess): "King in check! You must move your king out of danger." (Common phrase during a chess game)
General Public Discourse:
"Can you check if the oven is preheated yet?" (Everyday conversation, asking for verification)
"I need to do a quick check to make sure I haven't forgotten anything." (Common personal statement, referring to a quick review)
"That's a good check on executive power." (Political discussion, referring to a limitation or balance)
"I'll take the check, please." (At a restaurant, asking for the bill)
"Did you check off all the items on your shopping list?" (Household task communication, meaning to mark as done)
10 Famous Quotes Using Check
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." (Often attributed to Thomas Jefferson, though the exact phrasing varies; implies constant checking)
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it. For the sake of goodness, habits, and order, a check must be kept on those who hold power." (Lord Acton)
"Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give." (William Arthur Ward, with a strong emphasis on checking and verification before action)
"Always check your facts. Always be skeptical. Always think for yourself." (Robert A. Heinlein)
"I believe in freedom of speech, but I also believe in a check on speech that incites violence or hatred." (Hillary Clinton)
"You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one... No possessions, no need for greed or hunger. A brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people, sharing all the world." (John Lennon's "Imagine" - while "check" isn't explicitly used, the song's premise is a philosophical check on conventional societal structures)
"I love to play chess. It's a game of strategy, and every move you make, you have to think about the next three or four moves. And that's what life is about too: always thinking two or three steps ahead, making sure you don't put yourself in check." (Mike Tyson, explicitly referencing the chess term)
"An unexamined life is not worth living." (Socrates, implying a constant check on one's existence and beliefs)
"The first step toward wisdom is to check the facts and examine the evidence carefully." (Attributed to various philosophers, reflecting a core principle of critical thinking)
"Put your best foot forward and check your reflection before you leave the house, for you never get a second chance to make a first impression." (Common adage, implying a final review or inspection)
Etymology
The word "check" has a fascinating journey through languages, and its roots are surprisingly tied to the game of chess!
Imagine way back in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran). Their word for "king" was "shah." When someone's king was directly threatened in chess, they would say "shah!" – like saying "King!" to warn the other player.
This Persian "shah" traveled through Arabic to Old French, where it became "eschec." This "eschec" referred to both the game of chess itself and the act of putting the king in danger.
Now, fast forward to Middle English (around 1150-1500 AD). The English borrowed this "eschec" from Old French, and it became "chek" or "chekke."
The very first known use and meaning of "check" in English, dating back to around the late 1200s or early 1300s, was directly related to chess. It meant:
A call indicating that the opponent's king was in immediate danger. (Like shouting "Check!" in a game today.)
The situation itself of the king being threatened.
From this initial meaning of "putting the king in a limited or controlled situation," the word "check" started to branch out. If you think about it, when your king is in check, its options are restrained or stopped. This core idea of stopping, controlling, or verifying something led to all the other meanings we use today.
For example:
The idea of "stopping" something led to "to check a fire" (to halt its spread).
The idea of "verifying" something came from needing to "check" the board in chess to ensure the king was truly in danger, leading to "check your work."
Even the "check" you write at a bank comes from the idea of a "counter-check" or a way to control and verify payments.
So, all those different uses of "check" – from financial transactions to patterns on fabric, and from verifying information to simply stopping something – can ultimately trace their lineage back to a warning call in a game of chess!
Phrases + Idioms Containing Check
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "check":
Check in: To register arrival, often at a hotel or airport; to make contact or report to someone.
Check out: To depart from a hotel; to investigate or examine something; to pay attention to something new or interesting.
Check up on: To verify the condition, progress, or honesty of someone or something.
Check off: To mark items on a list as completed or verified.
Check it out! (Informal): Used to draw attention to something interesting or noteworthy.
Checks and balances: A system where different parts of a government or organization have powers that control or limit the others, preventing any one part from becoming too powerful.
In check: Under control; restrained.
Keep in check: To maintain control over something or someone; to prevent from getting out of hand.
Rain check: An offer to do something at a later time because the current time is inconvenient. (Often used as "take a rain check")
Check the box: To fulfill a requirement or complete a task, often in a minimalist or superficial way.
Check your ego at the door: An admonition to set aside pride or arrogance upon entering a particular situation or collaborative environment.
Check your privilege: A phrase used to call attention to unearned advantages one might have due to their social status, background, etc.
Run a check: To perform an investigation or verification (e.g., "run a background check," "run a credit check").
Check by: To visit briefly or casually.
Cross-check: To verify information by comparing it with another source or method.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of check from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
