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checkmate

   Also found in: Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
check·mate  (chkmt)
tr.v. check·mat·ed, check·mat·ing, check·mates
1. To attack (a chess opponent's king) in such a manner that no escape or defense is possible, thus ending the game.
2. To defeat completely.
n.
1.
a. A move that constitutes an inescapable and indefensible attack on a chess opponent's king.
b. The position or condition of a king so attacked.
2. Utter defeat.
interj.
Used to declare the checkmate of an opponent's king in chess.

[Middle English chekmat, from Old French eschec mat, from Arabic h mt, the king is dead : h, king (from Persian shh; see shah) + mt, died (from earlier mta, to die; see mwt in Semitic roots).]

checkmate
Noun
1. Chess the winning position in which an opponent's king is under attack and unable to escape
2. utter defeat
Verb
[-mating, -mated]
1. Chess to place the king of (one's opponent) in checkmate
2. to thwart or defeat [Arabic shāh māt the king is dead]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.checkmatecheckmate - complete victory                    
triumph, victory - a successful ending of a struggle or contest; "a narrow victory"; "the general always gets credit for his army's victory"; "clinched a victory"; "convincing victory"; "the agreement was a triumph for common sense"
2.checkmate - a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king
chess move - the act of moving a chess piece
Verb1.checkmate - place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game; "Kasparov checkmated his opponent after only a few moves"
chess game, chess - a board game for two players who move their 16 pieces according to specific rules; the object is to checkmate the opponent's king
beat, beat out, vanquish, trounce, crush, shell - come out better in a competition, race, or conflict; "Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship"; "We beat the competition"; "Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game"
Translations
checkmate [ˈtʃɛkmeɪt] njaque m mate
checkmate [ˈtʃɛkmeɪt] check néchec et mat m
checkmate [ˈtʃɛkmeɪt] check nSchachmatt nt
checkmate [ˈtʃɛkmeɪt] nscaccomatto


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It is checkmate for me this time, Miss Halcombe--ha?
They may do what they like, but I'll checkmate them still,' said he with an oath.
" he said to himself; "what a checkmate I'm exposed to
 
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