# cheek

> English word · Noun · IPA /t͡ʃiːk/ · frequency rank #7,535

## Definitions
1. The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity.
2. The lower part of the buttocks that is often exposed beneath very brief underwear, swimwear, or extremely short shorts.
3. Impudence.
4. One of the genae, flat areas on the sides of a trilobite's cephalon.
5. One of the pieces of a machine, or of timber or stonework, that form corresponding sides or a similar pair.
6. One of the pieces of a machine, or of timber or stonework, that form corresponding sides or a similar pair.
7. The branches of a bridle bit.
8. Either side of an axehead.
9. The middle section of a flask, made so that it can be moved laterally, to permit the removal of the pattern from the mould.

## Etymology
From Middle English cheeke, cheke, cheoke, choke, from Old English ċēce, ċēace, ċēoce (“cheek; jaw”), from Proto-West Germanic *kākā, *keukā (“jaw, cheek”), from Proto-Germanic *kēkǭ, *keukǭ (“jaw; palate; pharynx”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ǵyewh₁- (“to chew”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Sooke (“cheek”), West Frisian tsjeak (“jaw”), Dutch kaak (“jaw; cheek”), Swedish käke (“jaw; jowl”), Norwegian kjake (“jaw”), Old Norse kók (“mouth; gullet”).

## Easily confused with
- **chef** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chef)
- **Chen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chen)
- **chew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chew)
- **chem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chem)
- **Cher** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-cher)
- **Chet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chet)
- **Cree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-cree)
- **chez** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chez)
- **chief** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chief)
- **chest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chest)
- **creek** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-creek)
- **chuck** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chuck)
- **chick** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chick)
- **cheer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-cheer)
- **clerk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-clerk)
- **chess** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chess)
- **creep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-creep)
- **creed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-creed)
- **chefs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chefs)
- **chunk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheek-vs-chunk)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ccheek`, `cehek`, `cheekk`, `chek`, `cheke`, `chheek`, `hceek`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cheek