chess

noun

A board game for two players, each beginning with sixteen chess pieces moving according to fixed rules across a chessboard with the objective to checkmate the opposing king.

(now chiefly US) Any of several species of grass in the genus Bromus, generally considered weeds.

(military, chiefly in the plural) One of the platforms, consisting of two or more planks dowelled together, for the flooring of a temporary military bridge.

A river in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, England, which joins the Colne at Rickmansworth.

A surname.

Roots

shahchess- · Persian · king

Synonyms for chess

backgammonn checkersn scrabblen ticktacktoen snookern shuffleboardn billiardsn badmintonn croquetn dominoesn

Synonyms & related words for chess

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of chess — including backgammon, checkers, scrabble, ticktacktoe, snooker, shuffleboard. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to chess

Explore words related to chess — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include chessboard, checkmated, chessman, checkmates, castling, kriegspiel, zugzwang, chessmen. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for chess

Common synonyms for chess include backgammon, checkers, scrabble, ticktacktoe, snooker, shuffleboard, billiards, badminton — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does chess come from?

The word chess breaks down into one root of Persian origin: the root chess-, from Persian shah (“king”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.