chest

[chest]

noun

1. Anatomy.,  the trunk of the body from the neck to the abdomen; thorax.

2. a box, usually with a lid, for storage, safekeeping of valuables, etc..

   a toy chest; a jewelry chest.

3. the place where the funds of a public institution or charitable organization are kept; treasury; coffer.

4. the funds themselves.

5. a box in which certain goods, as tea, are packed for transit.

6. the quantity contained in such a box.

   a chest of spices.

7. chest of drawers.

8. a small cabinet, especially one hung on a wall, for storage, as of toiletries and medicines.

   a medicine chest.

chest

/ tʃɛst /

noun

1. 1. the front part of the trunk from the neck to the belly

   2. ( as modifier )

      a chest cold

2. informal,  to unburden oneself of troubles, worries, etc, by talking about them

3. a box, usually large and sturdy, used for storage or shipping

   a tea chest

4. Also: chestful. the quantity a chest holds

5. rare

   1. the place in which a public or charitable institution deposits its funds

   2. the funds so deposited

6. a sealed container or reservoir for a gas

   a wind chest

   a steam chest

Other Word Forms

• chested adjective
• chestful noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of chest¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cest, cist, from Latin cista, from Greek kístē “box”

Word History and Origins

Origin of chest¹

Old English cest, from Latin cista wooden box, basket, from Greek kistē box

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. get (something) off one's chest, to relieve oneself of (problems, troubling thoughts, etc.) by revealing them to someone.

2. play it close to the chest. vest.

see off one's chest; play one's cards close to one's chest.

Example Sentences

In addition to a gunshot wound to the chest, Vargas suffered multiple blunt-force injuries and showed signs of strangulation.

From Los Angeles Times

Lucima, who served a jail term in 2021 for helping to dismember a musician, was killed by a single bullet to the chest as he opened his front door in Kensington last year.

From BBC

Ohtani’s symptoms have included chest and sinus “stuff” as well as “a deep cough,” Roberts added.

From Los Angeles Times

Russia relies on oil and gas exports for roughly a quarter of its budget revenues, which is funding its war chest.

From BBC

A pair of toddlers lay together on a stretcher with bruises on their chests and faces.

From BBC

Related Words

• breast 
• heart 
• rib cage