cheque
Britishnoun
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a bill of exchange drawn on a bank by the holder of a current account; payable into a bank account, if crossed, or on demand, if uncrossed
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the total sum of money received for contract work or a crop
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wages
Etymology
Origin of cheque
C18: from check , in the sense: a means of verification
Explanation
A cheque is a written order directing a bank to pay out money, and it's exactly the same thing as a check, but with more exciting letters. The American English word for the slip of paper that authorizes your bank to make a payment is check, which is the adjusted spelling of the British English cheque. That word comes from exchequer which is like a bank, and so a cheque is a note that has the seal of the bank: an official piece of paper. Cheque can be used as a verb meaning "withdraw."
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.
In court documents, Ottawa does not weigh in on the merits of Bill 21, but argues the clause cannot be used as a blank cheque.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
"We were told it's not real debt, or it's just the price of a coffee, or you won't even notice it leaving your pay cheque," she said.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
At her home in Cumnock, Ayrshire, Ms Dunnachie shows the BBC a redundancy cheque for more than £13,000.
From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025
Workers "sacrifice" a higher salary, but receive a tax-free sum into their pot, with each pay cheque.
From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025
And then Beatrice must have written her note, and paid her cheque, and given the address “Mrs. de Winter, Manderley.”
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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.
