chest
Americannoun
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Anatomy. the trunk of the body from the neck to the abdomen; thorax.
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a box, usually with a lid, for storage, safekeeping of valuables, etc..
a toy chest; a jewelry chest.
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the place where the funds of a public institution or charitable organization are kept; treasury; coffer.
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the funds themselves.
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a box in which certain goods, as tea, are packed for transit.
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the quantity contained in such a box.
a chest of spices.
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a small cabinet, especially one hung on a wall, for storage, as of toiletries and medicines.
a medicine chest.
idioms
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get (something) off one's chest, to relieve oneself of (problems, troubling thoughts, etc.) by revealing them to someone.
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play it close to the chest. vest.
noun
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the front part of the trunk from the neck to the belly
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( as modifier )
a chest cold
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informal to unburden oneself of troubles, worries, etc, by talking about them
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a box, usually large and sturdy, used for storage or shipping
a tea chest
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Also: chestful. the quantity a chest holds
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rare
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the place in which a public or charitable institution deposits its funds
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the funds so deposited
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a sealed container or reservoir for a gas
a wind chest
a steam chest
Other Word Forms
- chested adjective
- chestful noun
Etymology
Origin of chest
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cest, cist, from Latin cista, from Greek kístē “box”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They wailed and sang as they beat their chests with their hands, a common mourning ritual in Iran.
Davidson described the emergence of a tic as a "gut-wrenching feeling in the middle of your stomach which slowly rises to your chest".
From BBC
It usually only needs treatment if it's causing symptoms, which may include dizziness, fainting or feeling like you're about to faint; chest pain, tiredness or shortness of breath.
From BBC
A chest of drawers “played back and forth with inconceivable rapidity.”
From Literature
"When I started the chest compressions, it began moving its legs. The more it moved, the more I kept going," he said.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
