- cheek
- O.E. ceace, cece "jaw, jawbone," also "the fleshy wall of the mouth," from W.Gmc. *kaukon, not found outside W.Gmc. Sense of "insolence" is from 1840. Cheeks "the buttocks" is from c.1600. To turn the other cheek is an allusion to Matt. v.39 and Luke vi.29.