chess
CHES/t͡ʃɛs/
- 1A board game for two players, who each move sixteen pieces by set rules and try to trap the other player's king.
We play chess every Sunday after lunch.
The chess club meets in the library on Fridays.
UsageSay play chess. One match is a game of chess.
- 2Any of several kinds of grass that are usually thought of as weeds.
The farmer pulled chess out of his wheat field by hand.
Chess grew tall along the dirt road behind the barn.
Note
Less common meaning
- 3One of the flat wooden pieces, made of planks joined together, that form the floor of a short-term army bridge.
ach chess consists of three planks.
1885, Edward S. Farrow, Farrow's Military Encyclopedia; A Dictionary of Military Knowledge
Practice
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Origins
Meaning 1
From Old French eschés, which goes back through Latin to Arabic and Persian shāh, meaning “king”.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- Chess derives from Old French eschés, through Middle English. en.wiktionary.org
- The derivation passes through Medieval Latin and Arabic to Persian shāh, meaning king. en.wiktionary.org
Meaning 2
The origin is not certain. It may come from chess the game, because things are set out in rows.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- The origin of this sense of chess is uncertain. en.wiktionary.org
- It may derive from chess the game through the idea of arrangement in rows. en.wiktionary.org