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cheese

n. · v. · interj.
US //ˈtʃiz// UK //tʃˈiːz// cheese
  1. 1 dairy product (n.)
    A1 Beginner Cooking

    a food made from the pressed curds of milk.

    a food product derived from the coagulation of the milk protein casein.

    Example

    I usually put a slice of cheese on my ham sandwich.

    Example

    The platter featured an assortment of aged cheeses, ranging from a sharp cheddar to a delicate, creamy brie.
  2. 2 cliché or sentimental (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    something that is too emotional, unoriginal, or silly.

    material that is perceived as overly sentimental, cliché, or lacking in artistic depth.

    Example

    The movie was full of romantic cheese, but I liked it anyway.

    Example

    Despite the high production values, the script was bogged down by pure cheese and predictable plot twists.
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  1. 3 video game exploit (n.)
    C1 Advanced Slang Computing

    a cheap or easy way to win a game by using a trick.

    the use of unconventional or low-skill tactics to achieve victory in a video game, often by exploiting specific mechanics.

    Example

    He won the match by using a hidden cheese that the other player didn't expect.

    Example

    The professional player was criticised for relying on early-game cheese rather than demonstrating superior mechanical skill.
  2. 4 to win cheaply (v.)
    C1 Advanced Slang Computing

    to win a game using a trick or a very easy strategy.

    to defeat an opponent by employing a controversial or unsporting tactic that requires little skill.

    Example

    I managed to cheese the final boss by standing in a spot where he couldn't hit me.

    Example

    The speedrunner found a way to cheese the entire third level, skipping several difficult encounters entirely.
  3. 5 to annoy (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate British English Informal

    to make someone angry or annoyed, usually used with 'off'.

    to irritate or provoke someone to anger; almost exclusively used in the phrasal form 'cheese off'.

    Example

    It really cheeses me off when people leave their rubbish on the bus.

    Example

    The constant delays in the project schedule have started to cheese off the senior stakeholders.
  4. 6 photo cue (interj.)
    A2 Elementary

    a word people say when they are having their picture taken to make them smile.

    a conventionalised exclamation used to induce a smiling facial expression for a photograph.

    Example

    Everyone look at the camera and say cheese.

    Example

    The photographer prompted the wedding party to say cheese in an attempt to capture a more relaxed group portrait.

    Usage

    Usually shouted by the photographer or the subjects right before the shutter clicks.

Etymology 1

Etymology tree Latin cāseusbor. Proto-Germanic *kāsijaz Proto-West Germanic *kāsī Old English ċīese Middle English chese English cheese From Middle English chese, from Anglian Old English ċīese, from Proto-West Germanic *kāsī, borrowed from Latin cāseus. Doublet of queso. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Síes (“cheese”), West Frisian tsiis (“cheese”), Dutch kaas (“cheese”), German Low German Kees (“cheese”), German Käse (“cheese”).

Etymology 2

Perhaps an alteration of cheers.

Etymology 3

Though commonly claimed to be a borrowing of Persian چیز (čiz, “thing”), the term does not occur earliest in Anglo-Indian sources, but instead is "well recorded in British and Australian sources from the 1840s onwards".

Etymology 4

Etymology unknown. Possibly an alteration of cease.

Etymology 5

From cheesy.

Word family
Idioms9 entries

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