a. On deck; and hence, like aboveboard, without artifice. Smart. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having the neck bare. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Beak. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. bek, AS. becc; akin to Icel. bekkr brook, OHG. pah, G. bach. ] A small brook. [ 1913 Webster ]

The brooks, the becks, the rills. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A vat. See Back. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Becked p. pr. & vb. n. Becking. ] [ Contr. of beckon. ] To nod, or make a sign with the head or hand. [ Archaic ] Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To notify or call by a nod, or a motion of the head or hand; to intimate a command to. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

When gold and silver becks me to come on. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A significant nod, or motion of the head or hand, esp. as a call or command. [ 1913 Webster ]

They have troops of soldiers at their beck. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A European fish (Pagellus centrodontus); the sea bream or braise. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. D. bek beak, and E. beak. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Naut.) A small grommet, or a ring or loop of rope or metal for holding things in position, as spars, ropes, etc.; also a bracket, a pocket, or a handle made of rope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A spade for digging turf. [ Prov. Eng. ] Wright. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Beckoned (&unr_;); p. pr. & vb. n. Beckoning. ] To make a significant sign to; hence, to summon, as by a motion of the hand. [ 1913 Webster ]

His distant friends, he beckons near. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

It beckons you to go away with it. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A sign made without words; a beck. “At the first beckon.” Bolingbroke. [ 1913 Webster ]

A hydrometer scale on which the zero point corresponds to sp. gr. 1.00, and the 30°-point to sp. gr. 0.85. From these points the scale is extended both ways, all the degrees being of equal length. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedecked (&unr_;); p. pr. & vb. n. Bedecking. ] To deck, ornament, or adorn; to grace. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bedecked with boughs, flowers, and garlands. Pennant. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bespeckled p. pr. & vb. n. Bespeckling. ] To mark with speckles or spots. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To wreck. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } v. t. To blacken; also, to defile. [ Obs. or Dial. ] Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]

. 1. a location or situation in which otherwise rapid progress is impeded. [ PJC ]

2. a point at which road traffic slows due to congestion or narrowing of the roadway. [ PJC ]

3. an impasse. [ PJC ]

4. a narrowing.
Syn. -- constriction. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. same as obstruct; as, his laziness has bottlenecked our efforts to reform the system. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. i. to become narrower as one approaches a point; -- said of roads; as, right by the bridge, the road bottlenecks. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

. (Automobiles) An inswept frame. [ Colloq. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. 1. A fall that breaks the neck. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A steep place endangering the neck. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Producing danger of a broken neck; as, breakneck speed. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a short, thick and muscular neck like that of a bull. Sir W. Scott. [ Narrower terms: mesomorphic ] [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

(Banking) A check drawn by a bank upon its own funds, signed by the cashier. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. a check drawn on a bank and bearing marks from that bank guaranteeing that funds have been reserved for payment. [ PJC ]

‖n. [ Native Brazilian name. ] (Zool.) A kind of spider monkey (Ateles chameck), having the thumbs rudimentary and without a nail. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. chek, OF. eschec, F. échec, a stop, hindrance, orig. check in the game of chess, pl. échecs chess, through Ar., fr. Pers. shāh king. See Shah, and cf. Checkmate, Chess, Checker. ] 1. (Chess) A word of warning denoting that the king is in danger; such a menace of a player's king by an adversary's move as would, if it were any other piece, expose it to immediate capture. A king so menaced is said to be in check, and must be made safe at the next move. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A condition of interrupted or impeded progress; arrest; stop; delay; as, to hold an enemy in check. [ 1913 Webster ]

Which gave a remarkable check to the first progress of Christianity. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

No check, no stay, this streamlet fears. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Whatever arrests progress, or limits action; an obstacle, guard, restraint, or rebuff. [ 1913 Webster ]

Useful check upon the administration of government. Washington. [ 1913 Webster ]

A man whom no check could abash. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A mark, certificate, or token, by which, errors may be prevented, or a thing or person may be identified; as, checks placed against items in an account; a check given for baggage; a return check on a railroad. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A written order directing a bank or banker to pay money as therein stated. See Bank check, below. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A woven or painted design in squares resembling the patten of a checkerboard; one of the squares of such a design; also, cloth having such a figure. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Falconry) The forsaking by a hawk of its proper game to follow other birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. Small chick or crack. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bank check, a written order on a banker or broker to pay money in his keeping belonging to the signer. --
Check book, a book containing blank forms for checks upon a bank. --
Check hook, a hook on the saddle of a harness, over which a checkrein is looped. --
Check list, a list or catalogue by which things may be verified, or on which they may be checked. --
Check nut (Mech.), a secondary nut, screwing down upon the primary nut to secure it. Knight. --
Check valve (Mech.), a valve in the feed pipe of a boiler, or other conduit, to prevent the return of the feed water or other fluid. --
To take check, to take offense. [ Obs. ] Dryden.

Syn. -- Hindrance; setback; interruption; obstruction; reprimand; censure; rebuke; reproof; repulse; rebuff; tally; counterfoil; counterbalance; ticket; draft. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Checked p. pr. & vb. n. checking. ] 1. (Chess) To make a move which puts an adversary's piece, esp. his king, in check; to put in check. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To put a sudden restraint upon; to stop temporarily; to hinder; to repress; to curb. Hence, (Ice Hockey) To obstruct the motion of an opposing player by contacting him with one's body. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

So many clogs to check and retard the headlong course of violence and oppression. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To verify, to guard, to make secure, by means of a mark, token, or other check; to distinguish by a check; to put a mark against (an item) after comparing with an original or a counterpart in order to secure accuracy. Hence, To compare with an original or with some standard, to insure correctness; as, to check an account; to check with a supervisor about procedures. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

4. To chide, rebuke, or reprove. [ 1913 Webster ]

The good king, his master, will check him for it. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Naut.) To slack or ease off, as a brace which is too stiffly extended. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To make checks or chinks in; to cause to crack; as, the sun checks timber. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To leave (something) in the temporary custody of another; as, to check baggage; to check one's firearms at the door; to check one's coat at the cloakroom. [ PJC ]

8. To accept (something) for temporary custody from another; as, to check a customer's baggage; to check a customer's coat. [ PJC ]

9. To make a checkered pattern upon. [ PJC ]

Syn. -- To restrain; curb; bridle; repress; control; hinder; impede; obstruct; interrupt; tally; rebuke; reprove; rebuff. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To make a stop; to pause; -- with at. [ 1913 Webster ]

The mind, once jaded by an attempt above its power, either is disabled for the future, or else checks at any vigorous undertaking ever after. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To clash or interfere. [ R. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To act as a curb or restraint. [ 1913 Webster ]

It [ his presence ] checks too strong upon me. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To crack or gape open, as wood in drying; or to crack in small checks, as varnish, paint, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Falconry) To turn, when in pursuit of proper game, and fly after other birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

And like the haggard, check at every feather
That comes before his eye. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Checkered; designed in checks. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of checking; as, the checkage of a name or of an item in a list. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The items, or the amount, to which attention is called by a check or checks. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. Held back from some action especially by force.
Syn. -- curbed. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. having a pattern of alternating dark and light squares in rows and columns.
Syn. -- checkered. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ From Check, v. t. ] One who checks. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Checkered p. pr. & vb. n. Checkering. ] [ From OF. eschequier a chessboard, F. échiquier. See Check, n., and cf. 3d Checker. ] 1. To mark with small squares like a checkerboard, as by crossing stripes of different colors. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To variegate or diversify with different qualities, colors, scenes, or events; esp., to subject to frequent alternations of prosperity and adversity. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our minds are, as it were, checkered with truth and falsehood. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. eschequier. See Checker, v. t. ] 1. A piece in the game of draughts or checkers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A pattern in checks; a single check. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Checkerwork. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This word is also written chequer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Checkerberries (Bot.) A spicy plant and its bright red berry; the wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). Also incorrectly applied to the partridge berry (Mitchella repens). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a perennial purple-flowered wild mallow of West North America (Sidalcea malviflora) that is also cultivated.
Syn. -- wild hollyhock, Sidalcea malviflora. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A board with sixty-four squares of alternate color, used for playing checkers, chess, or draughts. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Marked with alternate squares or checks of different color or material. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dancing in the checkered shade. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Diversified or variegated in a marked manner, as in appearance, character, circumstances, etc.; as, a character with a checkered past [ 1913 Webster ]

This checkered narrative. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. [ See Checher, v. ] A game, called also draughts, played on a checkerboard by two persons, each having twelve men (counters or checkers) which are moved diagonally. The game is ended when either of the players has lost all his men, or can not move them. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Work consisting of or showing checkers varied alternately as to colors or materials. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any aggregate of varied vicissitudes. [ 1913 Webster ]

How strange a checkerwork of Providence is the life of man. De Foe. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To register as a guest at a hotel, inn, motel. etc. Converse of check out. [ PJC ]

n. The act of registering as a guest at a hotel, inn, motel. etc; the act of checking in. Used also attributively, as the check-in counter at a hotel. [ PJC ]

n. 1. Ciclatoun. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Gilded leather. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That can not be checked or restrained. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. échec et mat, fr. Per. shāh māt checkmate, lit., the king is dead, fr. Ar. māta he died, is dead. The king, when made prisoner, or checkmated, is assumed to be dead, and the game is finished. See Chess. ] 1. The position in the game of chess when a king is in check and cannot be released, -- which ends the game. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A complete check; utter defeat or overthrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Checkmated; p. pr. & vb. n. Checkmating. ] 1. (Chess) To check (an adversary's king) in such a manner that escape in impossible; to defeat (an adversary) by putting his king in check from which there is no escape. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To defeat completely; to terminate; to thwart. [ 1913 Webster ]

To checkmate and control my just demands. Ford. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. the latest time for vacating a hotel room without being charged for extra time; as, the checkout here is 12 noon.
Syn. -- checkout time. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. A counter in a supermarket or other retail store where one pays for one's purchases.
Syn. -- checkout counter. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. i. 1. To vacate a room at a hotel, notel, etc. Converse of check in. [ PJC ]

2. To die. [ Colloq. ] [ PJC ]