check

/tʃek/ noun

1. a sudden stop

♦ to put a check on imports to stop some imports coming into a country

2. investigation or examination

● a routine check of the fire equipment

● The auditors carried out checks on the petty cash book.

3. US (in a restaurant) a bill

4. US same as cheque

5. US a mark on paper to show that something is correct

● Make a check in the box marked ‘R’.

■ verb

1. to stop or delay something

● to check the entry of contraband into the country

● to check the flow of money out of a country

2. to examine or to investigate something

● to check that an invoice is correct

● to check and sign for goods

♦ she checked the computer printout against the invoices she examined the printout and the invoices to see if the figures were the same

3. US to mark something with a sign to show that it is correct

● check the box marked ‘R’

(NOTE: The UK term is tick.)