Also 7 cheke. [f. CHEEK sb.]
1. trans. To form a cheek or side to, to flank or border.
1538. Leland, Itin., II. 105. To begyn this Causey, chekid on eche side.
1615. Chapman, Odyss., XXIV. 699. The brass That cheek’d Eupitheus’ casque.
1670. Lassels, Italy (1698), I. 62. The altars round about the church are cheeked with exquisite pillars.
† 2. To cheek a pike: to hold it by the cheeks.
‘The pike-man at the command Cheek your pike, grasped it with the left hand below the head, where the first and second rivets are, the head to the front, blade horizontal, left foot advanced, left elbow touching the side, the right hand grasping the pole at the right thigh, the pole sloping downwards, the butt nearly at the ground’ (T. Bunyan).
1622. Peacham, Compl. Gentl. (1634), 250. Postures … Order your Pykes. Trayle your Pykes. Cheeke your Pykes.
1625. Markham, Sovldiers Accid., 23. The sixe which are to be done marching, are—Advance your Pike, Shoulder your Pike, Levell your Pike, Sloape your Pike, Cheeke your Pike, Trayle your Pike.
1689. Cotton, To Earl of ——. Standing at some poor sutler’s tent, With his pike cheek’d, to guard the tun.
3. colloq. To address ‘cheekily’ or saucily; to speak with cool impudence to, confront audaciously. To cheek it: to face it out, ‘carry it through.’
1840. E. C. Bailey, in Haileybury Observer, II. 53. The various sensations of the party Cheeked.
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, I. 406/1 (Hoppe). [They] persuaded me to go and beg with them, but I couldn’t cheek it.
1865. Sat. Rev., 30 Dec., 811/2. There are boys at every school who are never so elated as when they have ‘cheeked’ the master.
1884. G. Moore, Mummer’s Wife (1887), 788. But you must pluck up courage and cheek the Baillie.
b. dial. (See quot.)
1877. E. Peacock, N. W. Linc. Gloss. (E. D. S.), Cheek, to accuse. ‘I cheek’d him wi’ it, an’ he couldn’t say a wod.’
