checkmate

Noun · Verb
Synonyms: mate

WordNet 3.0

Noun (2)

  1. complete victory
  2. a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's kingSynonyms: mate

Verb (1)

  1. 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”Synonyms: mate
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Checkmate \Check"mate\ (-m[=a]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Checkmated; p. pr. & vb. n. Checkmating.]

1.(Chess) To check (an adversary's king) in such a manner that escape in impossible; to defeat (an adversary) by putting his king in check from which there is no escape. [1913 Webster]

2.To defeat completely; to terminate; to thwart. [1913 Webster]

To checkmate and control my just demands.— Ford.[1913 Webster]
Checkmate \Check"mate\ (ch[e^]k"m[=a]t), n. [F. ['e]chec et mat, fr. Per. sh[=a]h m[=a]t checkmate, lit., the king is dead, fr. Ar. m[=a]ta he died, is dead. The king, when made prisoner, or checkmated, is assumed to be dead, and the game is finished. See Chess.]

1.The position in the game of chess when a king is in check and cannot be released, -- which ends the game. [1913 Webster]

2.A complete check; utter defeat or overthrow. [1913 Webster]

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