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chest (chĕst)
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n.
1.
a. The part of the body between the neck and the abdomen, enclosed by the ribs and the breastbone; the thorax.
b. The front or ventral portion of this part: has a tattoo on his chest.
2.
a. A sturdy box with a lid and often a lock, used especially for storage.
b. A small closet or cabinet with shelves for storing supplies: a medicine chest above the bathroom sink.
3.
a. The treasury of a public institution.
b. The funds kept there.
4.
a. A box for the shipping of certain goods, such as tea.
b. The quantity packed in such a box.
5. A sealed receptacle for liquid, gas, or steam.
6. A bureau; a dresser.
Idiom:
get (something) off (one's) chest
To vent one's pent-up feelings.
[Middle English, from Old English cest, box, from West Germanic *kista, from Latin cista, from Greek kistē.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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