cheek

plural cheeks

1. countableuncountableanatomyThe soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity.

   There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper, / That steals the colours from Bassanio's cheek: / Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world / Could turn so much the constitution / Of any constant man. What, worse and worse!— […]

   c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]

   Synonyms: wang

2. countableinformalplural normallyuncountableanatomyThe lower part of the buttocks that is often exposed beneath very brief underwear, swimwear, or extremely short shorts.

   Synonyms: arsecheek, asscheek, butt cheek, nether cheek

3. figurativelyinformaluncountableImpudence.

   You’ve got some cheek, asking me for money!

   Synonyms: impertinence, impudence, brass neck, nerve, sass, chutzpah

4. countableinformaluncountablebiologyOne of the genae, flat areas on the sides of a trilobite's cephalon.
5. countableuncountableOne of the pieces of a machine, or of timber or stonework, that form corresponding sides or a similar pair.

   the cheeks of a vice

   1 more example

   the cheeks of a gun carriage

   1. countableuncountablenauticalpump-cheek, pump-cheeks, a piece of wood cut out fork-shaped in which the brake is fastened by means of a bolt and can thus move around and move the upper box of the pump up and down
6. countablein pluraluncountableThe branches of a bridle bit.
7. countableuncountableEither side of an axehead.
8. countableuncountableartsThe middle section of a flask, made so that it can be moved laterally, to permit the removal of the pattern from the mould.

present singular third person cheeks · participle present cheeking · participle past cheeked · past cheeked

1. To be impudent towards.

   Don't cheek me, you little rascal!

   3 more examples

   We did not like him much because he kissed us and was preachy when we cheeked pretty Tallie, who did not rule over us as Dede did […]

   1942, Emily Carr, “Sunday”, in The Book of Small, Toronto, Ont.: Oxford University Press, →OCLC

   We cheeked him over the fence until he chased us off, and then we went down to the Walton Road and cheeked the carters, keeping on the other side of the hedge so.

   1948, George Orwell, Coming Up for Air

   'Well, I do live next door,' I said, in no way antagonistically, and yet I immediately felt as if I had cheeked the headmistress.

   2013, Louise Candlish, The Disappearance of Emily Marr

2. To pull a horse's head back toward the saddle using the cheek strap of the bridle.

   He cheeked the horse and stepped into the saddle.

   2012, J. Evetts Haley, Charles Goodnight: Cowman and Plainsman

   2 more examples

   Such horses might need to be "cheeked" for a while.

   1964, John Hendrix, If I Can Do It Horseback: A Cow-Country Sketchbook, page 183

   Thurman caught the bridle headstall and cheeked the horse's head near his left knee when he swung aboard.

   2009, Dusty Richards, The Sundown Chaser

3. To put or keep something in one’s cheek.

   The squirrel cheeked some nuts before heading back to its nest.

1. A pre-Norman surname.

   Titusvlle's Aleah Davis passes around the guard of Rockledge player Tatyana Cheek during Tuesday's game.

   2014 November 19, “Gallery: Titusville vs. Rockledge girls basketball”, in Florida Today, archived from the original on 19 Dec 2025

2. An unincorporated community in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States.
3. An unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Texas, United States, established by John R. Cheek.