noun
cheque
chehk
noun
1
A written instruction to a bank to pay a specific sum from your account to a named person or business.
"She wrote a cheque for the full amount of the rent."
"The landlord asked for a cheque instead of cash."
How to Use Cheque
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA paper slip that tells a bank to pay someone money out of your account.
UK vs US
British and Commonwealth English spell it "cheque"; American English uses "check" for the same thing.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
write a cheque
cash a cheque
bounce a cheque
cheque book
Word Forms
cheques plural
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She wrote a _____ for the full amount of the rent.
Etymology
From the same root as "check" — via Old French eschec back to Persian shah ("king"), the word used in chess. "Cheque" is simply the British spelling that split off from "check" in the 1790s, partly by influence of "exchequer."