Middle English Dictionary Entry
chē̆k interj. & n.
Entry Info
| Forms | chē̆k interj. & n. Also chec, check, chekke, cheke, echek(e. Pl. chekkes, chēkes, cheques. |
| Etymology | OF eschec; for sense 6 cp. ME chekkẹ̄ , chekked; for sense 7 cp. cheker. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A call uttered in chess when the opponent's king (or another important figure) is under attack: check!, guard!; (b) fig. halt!
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.426 : Ate ches þai sett hem to playn..Þurch a 'chek' [vr. cheke] Fabour seyd..Sadok in hert wex wroþ.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)21/319 : After 'chec!' fore þe roke ware fore þe mate.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)71 : Chek [vr. cheke]: Scactifactio, scaccatus.
- a1475 Chess(1) (Porter)602 : Draw þi white aufen & sey 'chec'..þen he sey 'chec' with þe roke in poun ward.
b
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)11399 : At ilka mattyng þei seide 'chek;' Þat most þer loste, sat y þe blek.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)659 : Fortune seyde 'Chek her!'..And 'Mat!'
2.
An assault or attack; geven chekkes, deliver blows, attack.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.231 : Anticirus..loste seuenty þowsand men of armes in sodeyn reses and chekkes [L incursionibus].
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1238 : He watz mayster of his men and myȝty himselven, Þe chef of his chevalrye his chekkes to make.
- (?c1422) Hoccl.ASM (Dur-U Cosin V.3.9)161 : Al þat lyf berith, with hir [Death's] chek is maat.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1986 : The kynge chargez hym..Cheftayne of the cheekke.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)1820 : Þey handled boþe sore þer nekkes, Chynnes, chekes, gef harde chekkes..Ilk oþer pulled, ilk oþer schok.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)12894 : Bygonne we haue a cuntek, But Arthur wot nought of þis chek.
- a1450(1419) Loke how Flaundres (Dgb 102)108 : Who so wil not knowe his awen astat, Ne deliuere chekkys er þat he be mat..To mende þanne is to late.
3.
A move, act, enterprise, feat; doings; acheven (winnen) ~, achieve a feat, have success; don chekkes, perform feats, play tricks; ivel (foul, shreued) ~, a wicked or harmful deed.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.193 : Deueles mowe liȝtliche doo suche chekkes.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.100 : In alle þis ilk chek of Roberd & Henry, Bituex þam wex contek.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.151 : Þe folk..þer ȝates ageyn him sperd, & wild not lat him in..& for þei did þat chek, an oth he suore to gram.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.258 : Þei mad a pes final aftere þer contek, þou has broken it alle, & don him many ille chek.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1107 : A forwarde we make; Quat-so-euer I wynne in þe wod, hit worþez to yourez; & quat chek so ȝe acheue, chaunge me þerforne!
- a1425 PPl.C (Lond-U V.88)1.110 : Þair sire..chastised not his children of hur euel chekkes.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1539 : Fyfty thosaunde on felde..fay ere bylefede. We hafe eschewede þis chekke thurghe chance of oure Lorde.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)912 : To noman the childe bewrey..For that were a shrewd chek.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)4042 : Take this stede..it was Amalekes, That hath doon him so foule chekkes.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3098 : Was noȝt Sexes him-selfe þe souereynest in erth, And cheued him of cheualry chekis out of nombre?
- c1450(?a1400) Roland & O.(Add 31042)851 : Gud lordes, slees noghte me, A noble cheke here wonn hafe ȝee.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)3467 : He wrogh a wofull cheke, þat slogh fyfty and neyne.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)914 : Beryn..wrouȝt ful many an evill chek..ther he wist or myȝte do eny evill dede, He wold nevir sese.
4.
(a) An incident or event, esp. one that does harm; a ~ fel, an incident occurred; fecchen ~, meet (one's) destiny; hard (sori) ~, hard luck, misfortune; (b) an adverse event, a stroke of misfortune; ~ hit bitide, may ruin overtake it!
Associated quotations
a
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)2699 : Yn Londun toune fyl swyche a chek.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.225 : Right in alle þis fare wex an euel chek, Ageyn Gilbert of Clare þe king was in contek.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1857 : Þen kest þe knyȝt..Hit [the girdle] were a juel for þe joparde..When he acheued to þe chapel, his chek forto fech.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)5012 : Hym fel þer a chek ful harde.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)8554 : Þe Payens wer al mat wyþ þat chekke [rime: nekke].
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)11471 : Þou gaf þy self a sory chek, Ageyns Rome to reise cuntek.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)8762 : He told hir such a fals chek.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)471 : Dischauce yewe nat til þis chek be do!
b
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2195 : Þis is a chapel of meschaunce; þat chekke hit by-tyde! Hit is þe corsedest kyrk þat euer I com inne!
- c1465 As I fared in (Hrl 1704)78 : Where is then thy rich renown?..Be thou neuer so gret of state, Þrough one check all may missefare.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)513 : Lett ws con well owur neke verse, þat we have not a cheke.
5.
Hawk. A halt in pursuit of the quarry, a false stoop (of a falcon).
Associated quotations
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.2715 : Hawkes best preued sumwhile a chek can make, Yit for o faute the foul is nat forsake.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)235 : [The falconer] quysses thaym [falcons]..Cheres ym full chefely, ecchekkes [vr. chekes] to leue.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)243 : Portours..taryen for theire tercelettis þat tenyn thaym full ofte, For some chosen to þe echecheke [!].
6.
(a) Her. A checkered design (as on an escutcheon); (b) a square (of a chessboard).
Associated quotations
a
- 1443 in Hope Gram.Heraldry100 : Gowles iij egles of gold betwene a feesche chekke of gold and asure.
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)189 : This worthi Duke was armed in stele..He bare a Chek of goulis clere, An Egle of goolde abrode displayed.
b
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)25106 : A cheker he made..of whiche þe chekkys weren..on Chek of Gold, anothir of yvery.
7.
A register of accounts (= chek(er)-roll, q.v. under cheker); rolle ~.
Associated quotations
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)29 : This householde rolle, contayneth many names more than the rolle chekke.
- -?-(1474) Ordin.Househ.Pr.Edw.30* : We will that the clerke of the cheques trulye execute his offyce, and he nightlye unto the Comptroller or Tresorer deliver the names of all those that be absente.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740:Eckhardt)12538 : Romains..walde na langer so trauailde be..Wiȝ slik als thefes, fra sted to stede, After chekes done to wasting flede.
Note: Add to gloss in sense 2.: "also, an attack made for the sake of plunder, a raid."
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Revised form section: Also chec(k, chek(k)e, (?error) echecheke; pl. chekes, etc. & cheques, ecchekkes.--notes per MLL