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chest definition

chest (c̸hest)

noun

  1. a box with a lid and, often, a lock, for storing or shipping things
  2. Rare a place where money or funds are kept; treasury
  3. a public fund the community chest
  4. chest of drawers
  5. a cabinet, as for holding medical supplies or toiletries
    1. the part of the body enclosed by the ribs, breastbone, and diaphragm; thorax
    2. the outside front part of this

Etymology: ME chest, chiste < OE, ON, or L: OE cist & ON kista < L cista < Gr kistē, a box, basket < IE *kista, woven container > OIr cess, basket

chest Idioms

get something off one's chest

Informal to unburden oneself of some trouble, annoyance, etc. by talking about it

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms chest idiom

medical chest definition - medical

chest Synonyms

chest

n.

  1. A box-like container, or a piece of furniture with drawers

    case, box, coffer, cabinet, commode, strongbox, receptacle, crate, locker, chest of drawers, dresser, bureau, chiffonier, clothespress, highboy, lowboy, jewel box, casket, coffin, treasury, reliquary, caddy, pyxis; see also container, furniture.

  2. The ribbed portion of the body

    breast, thorax, bosom, rib cage, heart, upper trunk, pulmonary cavity, peritoneum, ribs.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

chest Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • drawer: My mother would make a chest of drawers for us from match boxes.

Converse of object

  • unlock: Before unlocking the chest, strengthen it by dipping it in a precious liquid.

Adjective modifier

  • hairy: I love a guy with a hairy, muscular chest.

Modifies a noun

  • x-ray: A chest x-ray is usually normal in the early stages of the disease.

Noun used with modifier

  • treasure: I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!
chest usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

chest quotes

I want†the $60 GI job and no medals on my chest.

-Eisenhower, Dwight D(avid)

Held in the custody of childhood is a locked chest; the adolescent, byonemeans oranother, triestoopenit. the chest is opened: inside, there is nothing.

-Mishima,Yukio pseudonym of  Hiraoka Kimitake

Strong is the lionölike a coal His eye-ballölike a bastion's mole His chest against the foes: Strong, the gier-eagle on his sail, Strong against tide, th'enormous whale Emerges as he goes.

-Smart, Christopher

chest quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"chest." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/chest>

APA Style

chest. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/chest

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