chest

noun

1
a
: a container for storage or shipping
especially : a box with a lid used especially for the safekeeping of belongings
b
: a cupboard used especially for the storing of medicines or first-aid supplies
2
: the place where money of a public institution is kept : treasury
also : the fund so kept
3
a
: thorax sense 1
especially : the part of the human body enclosed by the ribs and sternum
b
: breast sense 2a
a hairy chest
chestful noun

Examples of chest in a Sentence

He has a broad chest. The pain is in my upper chest.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Your breaths may be noticeably shallower than usual, and your chest may move up and down rapidly. Lindsay Curtis, Health, 5 Nov. 2024 Dobson had physical injuries to her face, neck and upper chest area, consistent with having been physically assaulted. Tim Speier, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2024 Rest on your back with a pillow under your knees or on your side with your knees toward your chest to relieve or reduce lower-abdomen pressure. Michelle Pugle, Verywell Health, 4 Nov. 2024 Learn your stress indicators—sweaty palms, racing thoughts or a knot under your chest—track your emotional weather patterns and notice when your behaviors start shifting. Mark Travers, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for chest 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English cest, cist chest, box, from Latin cista, from Greek kistē basket, hamper

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of chest was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near chest

Cite this Entry

“Chest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chest. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

chest

noun
1
: a container (as a box or case) for storing, safekeeping, or shipping
tool chest
linen chest
2
: a public fund
community chest
3
: the part of the body enclosed by the ribs and sternum
chested
ˈches-təd
adjective
chestful noun

Medical Definition

chest

noun
1
2
: the part of the body enclosed by the ribs and sternum

More from Merriam-Webster on chest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!