English Reference
noun · verb

checker

n. · v.
US /ˈtʃɛkɝ/ UK /tʃˈɛkɐ/ check·er

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    n.someone whose job is to check or verify that something is correct.

    n.an individual responsible for inspecting, verifying, or auditing something for accuracy or quality.

    Simple

    The quality checker looked at every phone before it left the factory.

    In context

    The final safety checker signed off on the documents only after confirming that every protocol had been strictly followed by the engineering team.

  2. 02 B1 Intermediate American English

    n.the person at a supermarket who scans your items and takes your money.

    n.a retail clerk who tallies the cost of purchases and processes customer payments at a checkout counter.

    Simple

    The checker at the grocery store was very fast and friendly.

    In context

    The supermarket hired additional checkers to handle the surge of customers during the holiday shopping season.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.a pattern of squares in alternating colours, like a chessboard.

    n.a pattern consisting of alternating squares of different colours or textures.

    Simple

    The floor was covered in a black and white checker pattern.

    In context

    The designer chose a subtle checker motif for the upholstery to provide visual interest without overwhelming the room's minimalist aesthetic.

  4. 04 B1 Intermediate American English

    n.a flat, round piece used in the game of checkers.

    n.a flat, circular piece used in the board game of checkers, known as draughts in British English.

    Simple

    He moved his red checker across the board to jump over his opponent.

    In context

    By the end of the game, she had only one kinged checker remaining on the board.

  5. 05 C1 Advanced Literary

    v.to mark something with a pattern of squares.

    v.to mark or decorate a surface with a pattern of alternating colours or squares.

    Simple

    The sunlight through the leaves started to checker the forest floor.

    In context

    Late afternoon shadows began to checker the courtyard, creating a rhythmic play of light and dark across the ancient stones.

    tessellatevariegate

Etymology 1

From check + -er.

Etymology 2

From Middle English cheker, aphetic from Anglo-Norman escheker (“chessboard”), from Latin scaccarium, thus ultimately morpheme-for-morpheme cognate to etymology 1.

Etymology 3

Alteration of chequer.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated