noun
cheek
CHEEK/tʃiːk/
A rounded fleshy side of the face.
The man presses a fingertip against his cheek just below his eye.
Etymology
Old English ceace named the jaw or jawbone, then also the fleshy wall of the mouth. The modern sense preserves this shift from bone to the flesh covering it.
In context
my other hand cupped the side of her face. My thumb stroked her delicate cheek with an almost rough intensity.
More examples
- The cold wind reddens both cheeks.
- He kisses the baby gently on one cheek.
- The cyclist bruised one buttock cheek in the fall.
Forms
cheek · cheeks
Similar words
- jaw
- The jaw is the bony structure supporting the teeth; cheek is the fleshy side of the face.