checker

1 of 3

noun (1)

check·​er ˈche-kər 

1

archaic : chessboard

2

: a square or spot resembling the markings of a checkerboard

3

: a piece in checkers

checker

2 of 3

verb

checkered; checkering ˈche-k(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

a

: to variegate with different colors or shades

b

: to vary with contrasting elements or situations

2

: to mark into squares

checker

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

: one that checks

a fact checker

2

: an employee who checks out purchases in a self-service store

Examples of checker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Unsettling confusion lines crept over my brother’s aging face; a blue lizard-man and an Old West style mummy—like life-sized versions of Phil’s boyhood toys—were playing checkers next to the television. —Hazlitt, 18 June 2025

For a child with dyslexia, perhaps that's an advanced spell checker or specialized text-to-speech software. —Alan Schwarz, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

Verb

And thank God for the fact checkers and eagle-eyed readers who have saved me from other such missteps. —Jane Ciabattari june 17, Literary Hub, 17 June 2025

Rainbow pillows perch on a long pink booth and two faux crystal chandeliers dangle over a black and white checkered floor, the base of a spacious dining area that compelled chef and owner Jenni Vee to upgrade to this location from her beloved original storefront nearly a year ago. —Sophie Levenson, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English cheker, escheker "chessboard, table covered in a cloth marked out in squares for counting money, the Exchequer," borrowed from Anglo-French eschecker, from eschec "situation of being in check in chess" (in plural escheks, eschez "game of chess") + -er -er entry 2 — more at check entry 2

Note: Compare Medieval Latin scaccārium "chessboard," a latinization of escheker, unless the latter is a vernacularization of the Latin form. Sense 3 is a back-formation from checkers.

Verb

derivative of checker;1

Note: Early uses are inseparable from early instances of checkered, which could be taken as past participles of this verb.

Noun (2)

check entry 1 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing checker

• grammar checker
• spell-checker

Rhymes for checker

• chequer
• decker
• wrecker
• exchequer
• woodpecker

Kids Definition

checker

1 of 3 noun

check·​er ˈchek-ər 

1

: a square resembling the markings on a checkerboard

2

: a piece in the game of checkers

checker

2 of 3 verb

checkered; checkering -(ə-)riŋ 

: to mark with squares of different colors

a checkered tablecloth

checker

3 of 3 noun

: one that checks

especially : an employee who checks out purchases in a supermarket

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cheker "checker (square), board on which chess is played," from early French checker, escheker "board for playing chess," from eschec "a check (in chess), attack" — related to check, chess