chav
chav /tʃæv/ n BrE infml derog a young WORKING-CLASS person, who is rude and AGGRESSIVE, and who has bad taste and a low level of education. Chavs like wearing large pieces of jewellery, white TRAINERS, clothes with the name of the designer in large letters, and BASEBALL CAPS. Female chavs also like wearing very short skirts and clothes which show their MIDRIFFS. This is an offensive word, used especially by TABLOID newspapers.
Chávez, Ce-sar /'tʃɑ:vez, 'ʃɑ:-, .ser'zɑ:r/ (1927-93) a Mexican-American who was the president of the United Farm Workers of America from 1966 to 1993. He is known for organizing BOYCOTTS that helped poor workers win better wages and protect them against the use of harmful chemicals to grow food.
cheap¹ /tʃi:p/ adj 1 low in price and good value for money; INEXPENSIVE: Fresh vegetables are very cheap in the summer. | Bread is cheap in this shop because they bake it themselves. | This is the cheapest restaurant in town. (=it charges the lowest prices) | Houses like that don't come cheap. (=are expensive) | She got those trousers on the cheap (=at a very low price) at the market. | (derog) The industry is maintained by the cheap labour (=work done for low pay) of immigrant workers. 2 low in price and of little value or low quality: Her shoes looked cheap and nasty to me. | [fig.] A hundred years ago human life was held a lot cheaper than it is today. (=was considered to have little value) 3 (of behaviour) offensively unpleasant and showing a lack of principles or sincere feelings; VULGAR: I hate his kind of cheap humour. | cheap emotion | cheap thrills | I felt very cheap (=ashamed) because I'd lied to my friend. 4 AmE infml not liking to spend money; STINGY 5 cheap and cheerful infml (especially of decorations etc) looking cheap, but not ashamed of it 6 (as) cheap as chips BrE infml an expression used to mean that something is very cheap. This phrase was made popular by David Dickinson, an ANTIQUES EXPERT, on the British television programme Bargain Hunt. —-ly adv —-ness n [U]
cheap² adv at a very low price: I was very lucky to get it so cheap.
cheap·en /'tʃi:pən/ v 1 [I,T] to (cause to) become cheaper in price or value: The dollar's increase in value has cheapened imports. 2 [T] to make (especially yourself) seem less good or honourable; DEGRADE: Don't cheapen yourself by getting involved in their shady deals.
'cheap-jack adj [A] BrE 1 . cheap and worthless; SHODDY 2 producing or selling cheap worthless goods
cheap·o /'tʃi:pəʊ/ adj [A] infml not of good quality and not costing very much: a cheapo camera
cheap·skate /'tʃi:pskeɪt/ n derog a person who spends or gives very unwillingly
cheat¹ /tʃi:t/ v 1 [I(ât)] to behave in a dishonest or deceitful way in order to win an advantage, especially in a game: He always cheats at cards. | Any student caught cheating will be disqualified from the exam. 2 [T(of, out of)] to take from (someone) deceitfully: They cheated the old woman (out) of her money by making her sign a document she didn't understand. 3 [T] lift to avoid or escape as if by deception: The swimmers cheated death in the stormy seas. 4 [I(ɒn)] infml to be sexually unfaithful (to): They've only just got married, and already she's started cheating (on him)!
cheat² n 1 a person who cheats; dishonest person: I saw you drop that card, you cheat! 2 rare an example of cheating or dishonesty
Chech·nya /'tʃetʃnjə/ a small country in the CAUCASUS Mountains, south of Russia and north of Georgia. Population: about 1 million. Capital: Grozny. The people are mostly Muslim. Chechnya is still officially a republic within the Russian Federation although in 1991 it announced that it was an independent country. This led to a lot of fighting with Russia. Chechen REBELS have carried out TERRORIST attacks in several Russian towns and cities, including Moscow. —Chechen /'tʃetʃən/ n, adj
check¹ /tʃek/ n 1 C(on) an examination or INSPECTION for example to make certain that something is correct or in good condition: an airport security check | a check on the quality of all goods leaving the factory | They gave the car a thorough check before setting out on their journey. | The police are running a check on everyone who was at the party (=finding information about them) | I don't think I've got a copy of the report, but I'll have a check through my files. You'll have to keep a check on the oil – there's a leak in the tank. ➔ see also CHECKUP, SPOT CHECK 2 [C] a standard against which something can be tested or examined: She glanced through his lecture notes as a check that she had noted down all the important information. 3 [S(on);U] a means of the prevention of movement or development; RESTRAINT: The river acted as a check on the army's advance. | We've kept the disease in check for a year now. | You must put a check on your spending. | The police tried to hold the angry crowd in check. 4 [C] a) AmE for CHEQUE b) AmE for TICK 5 [C] a ticket or object for claiming something; RECEIPT: I've lost the check for my coat. 6 [C] AmE & ScotE a bill at a restaurant 7 [C;U] a pattern of squares, especially on cloth: a red and white check tablecloth ➔ see also CHECKED 8 [U] (in CHESS) the position of the king when under direct attack from an opponent's piece(s): He put her in check with his knight. ➔ see also CHECKMATE, RAIN CHECK
check² v 1 [for, on, UP;T] to test, examine, or mark to see if something is correct, true, in good condition etc: Their bags were checked by security guards as they entered the building. | She read the letter through before sending it, checking for spelling mistakes. | She checked through the letter before sending it. | 'Is the baby asleep?' 'I'll just go and check (up).' | The police are checking up on what the man told them. | She asked her surveyor to check the floorboards for dry rot. | Before you send the letter, check with Bill (=ask him) to see if the address is right. [I +that/wh-] I must just check that the potatoes are cooked/whether the potatoes are cooked. 2 [T] to find out and note: She checked the temperature every morning before leaving home. 3 [T] to stop, control, or hold back; RESTRAIN: More police have been recruited in an attempt to check the increase in crime. | A change of wind checked the fire. ➔ see also UNCHECKED 4 [T] (in CHESS) to move your pieces so as to put (the opponent's king) under direct attack 5 [T] AmE for TICK 6 [T] a) AmE to leave or accept (something) to be looked after: They checked their coats before taking their seats in the theatre. b) [(N)] to leave or accept (LUGGAGE) to be taken somewhere, especially by air: He checked (in) his bags. | His baggage was checked through to Bangkok. ➔ see also CROSS-CHECK, DOUBLE-CHECK
check in phr v 1 [I(at, to)] to report your arrival at a hotel or desk, an airport etc: He checked in at the hotel under a false name. | You must check in (at the airport) an hour before your plane leaves. ➔ compare CHECK OUT 2 [check sthg. ⇔ in] especially AmE to have the return of (an article) recorded: I'm just going to check in these books at the library. ➔ see also CHECK², CHECK-IN
check sthg. ⇔ off phr v [T] to mark (e.g. names or items in a list) as having been dealt with
check out phr v .1 [I(õf)] to leave a hotel after paying the bill ➔ compare CHECK IN! 2 [T(= check sthg. ⇔ out)] infml a) to find out whether (something) is true by making inquiries: The police are still checking out his story/his alibi. b) to be found to be true after inquiries have been made: How does his story check out with the facts? 3 [T(check sthg. ⇔ out)] infml especially AmE to examine (something) in order to learn the qualities of: Have you checked out that new Thai restaurant? | boys checking out the other team's cheerleaders 4 [T(check sthg. ⇔ out)] especially AmE to have the removal of (an article) recorded: to check a book out (of a library) ➔ see also CHECKOUT
check sthg. ↔ over phr v [T] to examine (something) in order to make sure it is correct: Please check this work over and correct any mistakes.
check·book /'tʃekbʊk/ n AmE for a CHEQUEBOOK
'check card also ,check guaran'tee card n AmE for a CHEQUE CARD
checked /tʃekt/ adj having a pattern of squares: checked curtains ➔ compare CHEQUERED; see also CHECK; see picture at PATTERN
check·er /'tʃekər/ n AmE someone who works at the CHECKOUT in a SUPERMARKET ➔ see also CHECKERS
Checker, Chubby (1941-) an American singer popular especially in the 1960s, whose most famous song is The Twist (1959)