/ tʃiːk; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C ] either side of the face below the eyes :
chubby / rosy / pink cheeks
He kissed her on both cheeks.
Couples were dancing cheek to cheek .
—picture at face
2.
-cheeked (in adjectives) having the type of cheeks mentioned :
chubby-cheeked / rosy-cheeked / hollow-cheeked
3.
[ C ] ( informal ) either of the buttocks
4.
[ U , sing. ] ( BrE ) talk or behaviour that people think is annoying, rude or lacking in respect
SYN nerve :
What a cheek!
He had the cheek to ask his ex-girlfriend to babysit for them.
I think they've got a cheek making you pay to park the car.
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IDIOMS
- cheek by jowl (with sb/sth)
- turn the other cheek
—more at rose noun , tongue noun
■ verb
[ vn ] ( BrE , informal ) to speak to sb in a rude way that shows a lack of respect
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English cē(a)ce , cēoce cheek, jaw , of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch kaak .