▪ I. chest, n.1
(tʃɛst)
Forms: 1 cest, cyst, 3–6 cheste, 3–5 chiste, 4–7 chist, 5 chast(e, 5–6 chyst, (6 ? gest), 3– chest. See also kist.
[OE. cest, *ciest, cist, cyst (:—*cesta) str. fem., app. an early adoption of L. cista, a. Gr. κίστη box, chest. Cf. OFris. kiste, (MDu. kiste, Du. kist), OHG. chista (MHG. and Ger. kiste):—*kista str. fem. ON. kista wk. fem. (Sw. kista, Da. kiste, was prob. a later adoption. Cf. kist, cist. (Some claim for OE. cest a native origin, connecting it with Ger. kasten box.)]
1. a. A box, a coffer; now mostly applied to a large box of strong construction, used for the safe custody of articles of value.
| a 700 Epinal & Erf. Gloss. 231 (& Corpus 365) Capsis cest. c 975 Rushw. Gosp. John xiii. 29 Sume..woendun þætte ceste hæfde Iudas. c 1000 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 276 Capsis, cist. a 1100 Ibid. 326 Loculus, cyst. a 1300 Havelok 222 Ne micte men finde..Of his in arke, ne in chiste. c 1386 Chaucer Wife's Prol. 309 Wherfor hydestow..The keyes of thy chist away fro me? c 1430 Lydg. Bochas i. xiv. (1554) 27 b, Out of her chist to take the fatell brond. 1535 Coverdale 2 Kings xii. 9 Ioiada the prest toke a chest, and bored an hole aboue therin. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 456 Certeine Frenche men..entered into the kinges campe..and there..robbed tentes, brake up chestes, and caried away Caskettes. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 455 Cloths and apparels bestowed in chists and coffers. 1678 Butler Hud. iii. Lady's Answ. 71 Those bright guineas in our chests. 1727 Swift Gulliver ii. viii. 169 Set afloat in that monstrous wooden chest. 1752 Johnson Rambler No. 206 ¶4 To break open the chests, or mortgage the manors of his ancestors. 1859 Tennyson Vivien 653 Keep it like a puzzle chest in chest. |
b. esp. A box devoted to the safe custody of the personal property of a sailor, etc.; or of the tools and requisites of any craftsman, as a
carpenter's chest,
surgeon's chest; or of the requisites of any particular department, as a
medicine chest,
tool chest, etc. (Commonly including the contents.)
| 1615 Britain's Buss in Arb. Garner III. 634 Physic and Surgery helps..A Chest, with partitions, for all these things. 1719 De Foe Crusoe xiii. (1790) 244, I found in the seaman's Chest about fifty pieces of eight. 1720 ― Capt. Singleton x. (1840) 177 Things..useful to furnish a surgeon's chest. Mod. Family medicine chests from one guinea upwards. |
c. = caisson.
| 1679 Lond. Gaz. No. 1457/1 The chest now sunck is of the same Dimensions. 1816 C. James Milit. Dict. s.v. Bridges, Caisson, a kind of chest, or flat-bottomed boat, in which a pier is built. |
d. chest of = chest full of, chestful of.
| 1775 Johnson Journ. West. Isl. Wks. X. 461 The father of Ossian boasts of two chests more of ancient poetry. 1854 Emerson Lett. & Soc. Aims, Resources Wks. (Bohn) III. 197 His [man's] body [is] a chest of tools. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. iv. i, [He] brought forth..his chest of clothes. |
2. fig. (With some of these,
cf. sense 9.)
| c 1430 Lydg. Compl. Bl. Knt. xxxiii, The brest is chest of dule and drerynesse. c 1430 Chev. Assigne 127 Holde þy wordes in chaste þat none skape ferther. 1593 Shakes. Lucr. cx, Some purer chest, to close so pure a mind. |
† 3. A coffin. Still
dial.| c 890 K. ælfred Bæda iv. xxx. (Bosw.) Ðæt hi woldan his ban on niwe cyste ᵹedon. c 1000 OE. Gosp. Luke vii. 14 He..ða cyste æt-hran. c 1160 Hatton G. ibid., He..þa cheste ætran. c 1205 Lay. 32303 His ban beoð iloken faste i guldene cheste. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 50 Buryede with hym in hys chest. c 1386 Chaucer Clerk's Prol. 29 He is now deed, and nayled in his chest. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 96 The chest that his body laye in. 1601 Holland Pliny xiii. xiii, One Cn. Terentius..as he digged..light upon a chist, wherein lay the bodie of Numa. 1602 Return. fr. Parnass. i. ii. (Arb.) 13 Let all his faultes sleepe with his mournefull chest. 1772 Pennant Tours Scotl. 180 A stone chest, formed of five flat stones. 1859 E. Capern Ball. & Songs 107 A shell is let down—Then, a small wooden chest. |
† 4. Applied to a basket or ‘ark’ of rushes, etc.
| a 1000 Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 204 Cistula, Sporta, uel cyst. c 1340 Cursor M. 5617 (Trin.) In þis chist þe childe she dide. c 1700 Addison tr. Coronis, Minerva..the infant laid Within a chest of twining osiers made. |
5. a. The place in which the money belonging to a public institution is kept; treasury, coffer; often used
transf. for the fund of money itself.
† b. A cash account (
obs.).
| 1588 J. Mellis Briefe Instr. C ij, By Capsa is vnderstood the chyst or ready money..And if..the Creditor syde of your chyst..should bee founde more..than the Debitor side of your said Chist, then were there error. 1662 Pepys Diary 2 July, The business of the Chest at Chatham. 1699 T. C[ockman] Tully's Offices (1706) 196 In the one Case we are beholden to the Chest, in the other to the Virtues and Abilities of the Person. 1803 Collect. Stat. Admir., Navy, etc. (1810) 651 A certain ancient..Institution, commonly called..The Chest at Chatham, for the perpetual Relief of such Mariners and Seafaring Men as have been or may happen to be hurt or maimed in the Service of his Majesty..It is expedient..that the said Chest should be removed from Chatham..to the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich. 1835 I. Taylor Spir. Despot. iv. 138 The church possessed herself of a chest; that is to say, became mistress of a disposable capital. 1839–42 Alison Hist. Europe (1849–51) III. xiii. §88 A military chest was formed. 1883 19th Cent. May 829 Starved on an annual pittance from the University Chest. |
6. Commerce. A large box or case in which certain commodities, as tea, sugar, etc., are packed for transport; hence used as a variable measure of quantity for such commodities; now almost confined to tea chests.
| 1708 Kersey, Chest..also an uncertain Quantity of some Merchandizes, as of Sugar, from 10 to 15 Hundred Weight. 1727 A. Hamilton New Acc. E. Ind. I. ix. 98 They can yearly export 2000 Chests of Rose-Water..A Chest contains about 12 English Gallons. 1751 Chambers Cycl. s.v., A chest of sugar..contains from ten to fifteen hundred weight: a chest of glass, from 200 to 300 feet; of Castile-soap, from 2½ to three hundred weight; of indigo, from 1½ to two hundred weight. 1823 J. Badcock Dom. Amusem. 170 Sheet lead, which comes to us in the way of lining round tea-chests. Mod. A small chest of tea as a christmas gift. |
† 7. chest of viols: a case containing a set of viols; the set of viols itself.
Obs.| 1611 Cotgr., Vn ieu de violles, a set, or chest of Violls. 1641 Hinde J. Bruen 10 Musitians and a chest of Viols kept in the house. a 1789 Burney Hist. Mus. III. 356 Viols..of which it was usual, during the last century, for most musical families to be in possession of a chest, consisting of two trebles, two tenors and two basses. |
8. chest of drawers: a kind of large box or frame fitted with a set of drawers; formerly used for keeping money and other valuables, now an article of bedroom furniture in which clothes are kept.
| [1599 Minsheu, Caxón, a great chest, or standerd with drawing chests, or boxes in it.] 1677 Lond. Gaz. No. 1166/4 Quilts, Chairs, Carpets..and Chests of Drawers. 1691 M. Pitt Cry of Oppressed Pref. 30 My Lord's Chest of Drawers wherein his Money was. 1710–11 Swift Lett. (1767) III. 109 The key general of the chest of drawers with six locks. 1770 Goldsm. Des. Vill. 230 A bed by night, a chest of drawers by day. 1859 W. Collins Q. of Hearts (1875) 86 Isaac locked the door, set his candle on the chest of drawers. |
9. a. That part of the human body inclosed by the ribs and breast-bone, forming the upper part of the trunk, and containing the heart and lungs; the thorax. Also the same part in the lower animals.
| 1530 Palsgr. 205/1 Chest of a man, fovrielle. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 57 One that had a suppuration in his chist. 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. i. iii. 163. 1704 J. Harris Lex. Techn. s.v. Costæ, The Ribs, are those Bones which with other parts make the Chest or Thorax. a 1720 Gay Dione ii. iii, The tall swan, whose proudly swelling chest Divides the wave. 1813 J. Thomson Lect. Inflam. 559 Inflammatory affections of the head, chest, or belly. |
† b. fig. regarded as the seat of the emotions and passions. (
Cf. breast,
bosom.)
Obs.| 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. ix. 9 When corage first does creepe in manly chest. 1647 H. More Song of Soul ii. i. iii. xiii, What rage, what sorrow boils thus in thy chest? |
c. Colloq. phrases:
to get it off one's chest, to relieve one's mind by making a statement or confession;
to play (cards, a thing, etc.) close to one's chest, to be cautious or secretive about (something); to keep information to oneself.
| 1902 Daily Chron. 27 Sept. 3/2 The desire is either to deliver a message to the world or to express the individual personality—to ‘get it off your chest’ is the horrid, vulgar phrase. 1910 W. J. Locke Simon the Jester xxi, ‘I've got to get it off my chest,’ said he... ‘I want to tell you that I've been every end of a silly ass.’ 1939 A. Powell What's become of Waring vi. 166, I wanted to see you to get some things off my chest. I've got to tell them to somebody. 1961 A. Christie Pale Horse xxiv. 248, I couldn't afford to give hints... You have to play these things close to your chest. 1966 Guardian 8 Sept. 3/6 It was suggested yesterday that Manchester Corporation in its many property deals should play the cards a little closer to the chest. |
10. Comb. a. In sense 1, as
chest-lid,
chest-lock,
chest-maker, etc.
† chest-breaker, one who breaks open chests (
cf. house-breaker);
chest freezer, a freezer with a hinged lid rather than a door,
usu. lower and wider than an upright or front-opening model;
chest-saw, ‘a species of hand-saw without a back’ (Knight
Dict. Mech.);
chest-trap (see
quot.);
b. In sense 9, as
chest girth,
chest measure,
chest measurement,
chest-pressed ppl. adj.;
chest-deep a. (adv.), so deep as to reach to the height of one's chest;
chest-expander (see
quot. 1858 and
expander);
chest-founder,
-foundering, a rheumatic affection of the muscles of the chest in horses;
chest-foundered,
a., affected with chest-foundering;
chest-measurer, an instrument for measuring the capacity of the chest, or the movement of the walls of the chest in respiration, a stethometer;
chest-note, a note produced in the lowest register of the voice (see
chest-voice);
chest pack, an airman's pack containing a parachute, carried on the chest;
chest-piece, that part of a stethoscope which, when in use, is placed against the chest;
chest-protector, a covering or wrap to protect the chest from cold;
chest-quake,
humorous nonce-wd., after
earthquake;
chest register, the lower portion of the compass of the human voice;
chest-voice, the lowest register of the voice in singing or speaking;
chest-wall, the external surface of the thorax or chest.
| 1604 Meeting of Gallants 11 Hee would..rather bee a Wood-cleauer in the Countrey, then a *chest-breaker in London. |
| 1889 C. Edwardes Sardinia & Sardes 172 The stream was strong and *chest-deep. |
| 1850 Rep. Comm. Patents 1849 (U.S.) 270 Having thus fully described..the operation of the shoulder brace and *chest expander. 1858 Simmonds Dict. Trade, Chest-expander, an application of fixed or pliable materials for keeping back the shoulders. 1935 C. Isherwood Mr. Norris xiii. 207 Kuno was to be seen, in a pair of gym shorts, doing exercises with a chest-expander. |
| 1703 Lond. Gaz. No. 3908/4 A black Gelding..goes stradling before, being *Chest-founder'd. |
| c 1720 Gibson Farrier's Guide ii. xxvi. (1738) 90 Of *Chest-foundering..The Disease..comes the nearest of any to that which in a Human body is called a Pleurisy. |
| 1947 G. J. Stout Home Freezer Handbk. vi. 38 The chief differences between the different types of *chest freezers are discussed here. 1963 [see top-opening s.v. top n.1 32 a]. 1985 Sears Catal. Spring/Summer 884 You get plenty of storage for your frozen foods in these chest freezers. |
| 1904 Daily Chron. 29 Dec. 6/6 A noticeable increase of *chest girth of every boy in the school. |
| 1815 Milman Fazio (1821) 9 A huge *chestlid jealously and scantily Uplifted. |
| 1591 Percivall Sp. Dict., Cestero, a *chest maker, a basket maker. |
| 1889 Cent. Dict., *Chest-measure, the greatest girth of the chest. |
| 1862 H. W. Fuller Dis. Lungs 26 An instrument proposed by Dr. Sibson. He has named it the *Chest-measurer. 1881 Syd. Soc. Lex., Chest-measurer, same as Stethometer. |
| 1854 Bushnan in Circ. Sc. (c 1865) I. 286/1 The notes of the natural voice—called also *chest-notes—are fuller. 1879 Haweis Music & Morals i. vii, The tenor has to come out with a high chest-note. |
| 1930 C. Dixon Parachuting 160 The Back Pack is usually used, the *Chest Pack being a small auxiliary. 1956 Heflin U.S. Air Force Dict. 112/1 Chest-pack parachute, a parachute pack that is detachable from the harness and is clipped onto a chest harness when needed. |
| 1894 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 3 Nov. 991/1 The ear pieces are made of india-rubber,..and the *chest piece has an india-rubber air pad cover. 1909 Practitioner Dec. 862 The edge of the metal chest-piece might be conveniently rimmed with hard rubber. |
| a 1845 Hood Nocturnal Sk. v, In a nightmare rest, *chest-press'd. |
| 1888 19th Cent. Mar. 465 Most men need flannels, *chest-protectors, etc. |
| 1855 G. Meredith Shav. Shagpat (1872) 157 *Chestquakes of irresistible laughter. |
| 1847 C. W. Manby Man. Music xii. 113 In the soprano voice the notes of the *chest and medium registers are distinguished for their clearness and brilliance. 1966 H. L. Shorto in C. E. Bazell In Memory of J. R. Firth 402 Variation entailed by the nature of the prevocalic consonant is minimal in chest-register words. |
| 1726 Dict. Rust. (ed. 3) *Chest-Traps, a kind of Boxes or Traps, used to take Pole-cats, Fitchets, Marterns and the like Vermine. |
| 1879 Hullah in Grove Dict. Mus. I. 344 By ‘*chest-voice’ is..understood the lowest sounds of a voice..in other words, the ‘first register’. |
| 1879 St. George's Hosp. Rep. IX. 285 A wound on chest-wall. 1909 Practitioner Dec. 862 Many physicians prefer to use the unaided ear applied direct to the chest-wall. |
▪ II. † chest, n.2 Obs. Forms: 1
céast, 2–5
cheste, 3
cheast, 3–4
cheaste, 4
chyste,
cheeste, (
Ayenb.)
chyaste, 4–5
chest, 5 (?)
chost.
[OE. céast, app. a later refashioning of the equivalent OE. céas (by addition of the ordinary -t of nouns of action: cf. OE. hǽs, ME. hest). Céas fem. corresponds to OHG. kôsa point of dispute:—WGer. *kausa, app. a. L. caussa cause, matter of dispute, lawsuit, etc.] Strife, contention, quarrelling.
| c 1000 ælfric Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 116 Seditio, folcslite, uel æswicung, sacu, ceast. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 111 Þet clene wif scunað ȝitsunge and cheste ne sturað. a 1225 Ancr. R. 200 Þe uormest is Cheaste, oðer Strif. c 1300 K. Alis. 29 Now pais holdith, and leteth cheste. 1340 Ayenb. 67 Efter þe chyaste we zetteþ þe zenne of grochinge. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 109 Ferly me þinketh But chest be þere charite shulde be. 1382 Wyclif James iv. 1 Wherof bateyles and cheestes, or chidinges, among ȝou? c 1425 Seven Sag. (P.) 1638 Withoutyn ony more chest Thay dyden the emperour hest. c 1450 Myrc 1477 Hast þou I-lyued..in chest [ed. chost] and stryf Wyþ þy meyne and wyþ þy wyf? |
▪ III. chest, v. (
tʃɛst)
Also 6
chist,
cheist.
[f. chest n.1] 1. trans. To put into a coffin. Now chiefly
dial.| 1473 J. Warkworth Chron. 21 On the morwe he was chestyde and brought to S. Paulys. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. (1877) 159 note, A cophin, soche as the carkesses of noble persons ar cheisted in. 1611 Bible Gen. l. (headnote) Joseph taketh an oath of them for his bones. He dieth and is chested. 1665 G. Havers P. della Valle's Trav. E. India 339 That afternoon, we chested our late slain Commander. 1849–53 Rock Ch. of Fathers II. 491 The body was chested. Mod. Sc. The corpse will be chested this evening. |
2. To enclose in a chest or box; to stow away.
| 1616 R. Carpenter Christ's Larumbell 48 All their mony is little enough..to chest vp in their Treasurie. 1636 R. James Iter Lanc. (1845) Introd. 47 To cheste Eternall hatred in a mortall brest. 1657 May Satir. Puppy 14 He gaue charge his Unkles Wardrobe should be chested up, and kept as Reliques. 1824–9 Landor Imag. Conv. (1846) II. 39 Serious thoughts are folded up and chested. |
3. Of a horse: To come against or strike with the chest. (
Cf. breast v. 1.)
| 1843 Lever J. Hinton xxv, My horse came with full force against it..chesting the tangled branches. 1845 E. Warburton Crescent & Cross (1846) II. 216 The next moment my mare chested him, and sent him spinning and tangled in his long blue gown. 1866 Daily Tel. 25 Oct., His hand..the firmest..that ever beguiled a beaten horse to rise at a stiff bit of timber which his neighbours right and left were chesting or declining to negotiate. |
Hence
ˈchesting vbl. n., the putting (of a corpse) into a coffin, ‘with (in Scotland) the entertainment given on this melancholy occasion’ (Jamieson).
| 1535 Let. in Strype Eccl. Mem. I. i. xxxiii. 242 The leading and chesting was preparing. 1552 Huloet, Chestynge of a deade bodye in a close coffyn, or the ministration of baulmynge. 1613 T. Godwin Rom. Antiq. (1625) 77 Those who had the..chesting..of the dead corps. Mod. Sc. The chesting has been deferred to enable relatives at a distance to be present. |
▪ IV. chest(e obs. f. chaste,
chess n.1