chest

chest · noun, verb¹

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromκίστη“chest, box, basket, hamper”
2. Latin · derived fromcista“chest, box”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*kistu“chest, box”
4. Old English · inherited fromċest
5. Middle English · inherited fromcheste
6. English todaychest

From Middle English cheste, chiste, from Old English ċest, ċist (“chest, casket; coffin; rush basket; box”), from Proto-West Germanic *kistu (“chest, box”), from Latin cista (“chest, box”), from Ancient Greek κίστη (kístē, “chest, box, basket, hamper”).

chest · noun²

1. Old English · inherited fromċēast
2. Middle English · inherited fromchest
3. English todaychest

From Middle English chest, cheste, cheeste, cheaste, from Old English ċēast, ċēas (“strife, quarrel, quarrelling, contention, murmuring, sedition, scandal; reproof”). Related to Old Frisian kāse (“strife, contention”), Old Saxon caest (“quarrel, dispute”), Old High German kōsa (“speech, story, account”).

Chest · proper noun³

Shortened form of Chester taking all the letters of the first syllable and the first consonant of the second syllable.

Words from the same roots