What does check mean?
Check is one of the most versatile words in modern English, functioning as both a noun and a verb with a remarkable range of meanings. At its core, to check is to examine or verify: you check your email, check a calculation, or check whether the door is locked. As a noun, a check can be an act of inspection, a restraint on progress, a restaurant bill in America, or a written bank order (spelled cheque in Britain). In chess, a check is a direct attack on the king demanding an immediate response. The word carries no strong connotation of formality or informality, making it equally at home in casual conversation and technical writing. Its everyday utility — covering verification, limitation, payment, and even chess — makes it indispensable, and common phrases like double-check, reality check, and keep in check show how deeply it has woven itself into ordinary speech.
An examination or inspection to verify accuracy or condition; also (US) a written order directing a bank to pay money, a restaurant bill, or (in chess) an attack on the king requiring immediate response.
"The mechanic gave the engine a thorough check before we set off."
To examine something in order to establish its accuracy, truth, or condition; also to stop, restrain, or slow the advance of something.
"Check the timetable before you leave for the airport."
Regular plural. In American English, 'checks' commonly refers to multiple bank cheques; it can also refer to repeated inspections or restraints.
"He wrote three checks to cover the month's rent."
Every time you check anything — a bill, a box, an opponent's king — you're echoing the Persian word 'shah', meaning king, from the game of chess.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of check
Check entered English in the late Middle Ages through chess, deriving from the Persian 'shah' (king) via Arabic and Old French 'eschequier'. From the chess sense of attacking the king came broader senses of stopping or restraining, then of testing or verifying. The banking sense arose from the practice of using checked or counterfoil documents to prevent forgery, giving rise to the spelling 'cheque' in British English. Cognates include chess, checkmate, and exchequer, all tracing back to the same Persian root.
Related word forms
How check is actually used
'Check' is neutral in register and extremely versatile. In American English it serves both the banking sense and the restaurant-bill sense, while British English uses 'cheque' for the bank document and typically 'bill' at restaurants. The verb takes a direct object ('check the report'), and 'check out' often means to investigate or borrow from a library.
Easily confused with check
'Cheque' is the British spelling used only for the banking document; 'check' is the US spelling and also covers many other meanings such as examining or restraining.