Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CHEEK'-TOOTH, n.

The hinder tooth or tusk. – Joel i. 6.

CHEEP, v.i.

To chirp, as a small bird.

CHEER, n.

1. A shout of joy; as, they gave three cheers.
2. A state of gladness or joy; a state of animation, above gloom and depression of spirits, but below mirth, gayety and jollity. Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee. – Matth. ix. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. – Acts xxvii.
3. Mirth; gayety; jollity; as at a feast.
4. Invitation to gayety. – Shak.
5. Entertainment; that which makes cheerful; provisions for a feast. – Shak. The table was loaded with good cheer. – Irving.
6. Air of countenance, noting a greater or less degree of cheerfulness. His words their drooping cheer / Enlightened. – Milton.

CHEER, v.i.

To grow cheerful; to become gladsome, or joyous. At sight of thee my gloomy soul cheers up. – Phillips. Cheer up, my lads.

CHEER, v.t. [Fr. chère; Arm. cher, cheer, entertainment; Ir. gairim, to call, shout, extol; rejoice; Gr. χαιρω to rejoice, to hail or salute. The primary sense is to call out or shout, as in joy; a sense retained in jovial companies, to give cheers, and among seamen, to salute a ship by cheers. Orient. קרא, kara.]

1. To salute with shouts of joy, or cheers. – Mar. Dict.
2. To dispel gloom, sorrow, silence or apathy; to cause to rejoice; to gladden; to make cheerful; as, to cheer a lonely desert; the cheering rays of the sun; good news cheers the heart.
3. To infuse life, spirit, animation; to incite; to encourage; as, to cheer the hounds.

CHEER'ED, pp.

Enlivened; animated; made glad.

CHEER'ER, n.

One who cheers; he or that which gladdens. Thou cheerer of our days. – Wotton. Prime cheerer, light. – Thomson.

CHEER'FUL, a.

1. Lively; animated; having good spirits; moderately joyful. This is the most usual signification of the word, expressing a degree of animation less than mirth and jollity.
2. Full of life; gay; animated; mirthful; musical; as, the cheerful birds.
3. Expressive of good spirits or joy; lively; animated. A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance. Prov. xv.

CHEER'FUL-LY, adv.

In a cheerful manner; with alacrity or willingness; readily; with life, animation or good spirits.

CHEER'FUL-NESS, n.

Life; animation; good spirits; a state of moderate joy or gayety; alacrity. He that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. – Rom. xii.

CHEER'I-LY, adv.

With cheerfulness; with spirit.

CHEER'I-NESS, n.

Cheerfulness.

CHEER'ING, ppr.

Giving joy or gladness; enlivening; encouraging; animating.

CHEER'ING-LY, adv.

In a cheerful manner.

CHEER'ISH-NESS, n.

State of cheerfulness. [Not is use.] – Milton.

CHEER'LESS, a.

Without joy, gladness, or comfort; gloomy; destitute, of any thing to enliven or animate the spirits. – Spenser.

CHEER'LESS-NESS, n.

State of being destitute of cheerfulness or comfort.

CHEER'LY, a.

Gay; cheerful; not gloomy.

CHEER'LY, adv.

Cheerfully; heartily; briskly.

CHEER'Y, a.

Gay; sprightly; having power to make gay. Come, let us hie, and quaff a cheery bowl. – Gay.

CHEESE, n. [s as z. Sax. cese, or cyse; Ir. cais; W. caws; Corn. kes; Arm. caus; L. caseus; Sp. queso; Port. queijo; D. kaas; G. käse; Basque, gasna or gazta. The primary sense is to curdle, to congeal, from collecting, drawing or driving, W. casiaw, to curdle. Perhaps it is allied to squeeze.]

1. The curd of milk, coagulated by rennet, separated from the serum or whey, and pressed in a vat, hoop, or mold.
2. A mass of pumice or ground apples placed on a press. – New England.

CHEESE'-CAKE, n.

A cake made of soft curds, sugar and batter. – Prior.

CHEESE'-MON-GER, n.

One who deals in or sells cheese. – B. Jonson.

CHEESE'-PAR-ING, n.

The rind or paring of cheese. – Beaum.

CHEESE'-PRESS, n.

A press, or engine for pressing curd in the making of cheese. – Gay.