A check meaning in English

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Definition

a check (US), a cheque (UK): a bill of exchange, a written order directing a bank to pay money noun
You can pay for the damage in cash, or you can write me a check.
to check: to examine, to look at, to study, to verify verb
the check (for the meal) (US): the bill, the amount of money to be paid (for the meal) (US) noun

Examples

  • "Checking accounts are essential if you want to pay for anything by check or debit card."
  • "Can I check my messages?"
  • "Brian : Well at least I'm the first one here... Now then, must make sure I've brought everything... Ok then: Rug... check."
  • "I would appreciate it if you could check these figures, and get to the bottom of this."
  • "I know you don't check your emails, so you wouldn't have received the message I sent you last week."
  • "He used to ring me at least 50 times a night to check what I was doing."
  • "Corkscrew.... check. Napkins... kitchen roll..."
  • "Let me go check something... I have pizza!"
  • "Stuffed animal? Check. Diapers?"
  • "In the morning, I like to check my emails."
  • "Plastic cups... check."
  • "Stroller? Check. Bottle of 24-year-old Scotch?"
  • "After complaining about the weather for half an hour, she told me that she recently handed over a cheque for £90,000 to a "nice young man", and that in exchange he promised to re-plaster the ceiling in her sitting room. I'm no expert on re-plastering, but this seems like a rather large sum of money."
  • "Moreover, the "nice young man" in question has not been seen since he received his cheque."
  • "I'm going to go get some snacks and use the rest room. You fill up the tank, and check the tires, okay?"
  • "Diapers? Check. Stroller?"
  • "I'll contact our insurance broker, Ouch Insurance, and check our current policy."
  • "I need to check with the wife, I'll keep you posted"
  • "Curiously, the security didn't check them. I would love to share these special foods, wines and odors with you."
Exercise 1
Which of the following expressions could be used to ask for the check at restaurant?

There may be more than one correct answer!
Which of the following expressions could be used to ask for the check at restaurant?

There may be more than one correct answer!
"May I have the check?" is a request for the bill (or check) at a restaurant. This question is a polite and common way of asking for the bill at a restaurant. Note that at a restaurant, the check is also called a bill.
In English, a note never refers to the bill or check at a restaurant or elsewhere. A "note" is sometimes used in a financial context to describe a piece of paper or document in which someone promises payment to another. This is called a "promissory note" or simply a note. Promissory notes are also called "I.O.U's" in English.
"May I have the bill?" is a request for the check (or bill) at a restaurant. This question is a polite and common way of asking for the bill at a restaurant. Note that at a restaurant, the bill is also called a check (US) or cheque (UK).
A receipt is a piece of paper confirming payment for goods or services. The receipt is given after payment has been made, and serves as proof or record of payment. A receipt is not synonymous with a check or bill.
"The addition" is never used in English to refer to a bill or check. The term is used generally to refer to the act of adding (mathematically) and in other related idioms.
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate terms from these passages of Edward's song!

The bank told me that my has
Due to insufficient in my
This is the message of this song. Life's no fun when you're !
What am I to do now? I'm so ,
No glasses for me and I am in !
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate terms from these passages of Edward's song!

The bank told me that my cheque 1 has bounced 2
Due to insufficient funds 3 in my account 4
This is the message of this song. Life's no fun when you're overdrawn 5!
What am I to do now? I'm so upset 6,
No glasses for me and I am in debt 7!
1 cheque: "Cheque" (UK) or "check" (US) is the correct answer here. A "cheque" is a small piece of paper which you sign, date, and give to someone as a form of payment. When you open a bank account, you usually receive a "cheque book" full of "cheques" which you can fill in and give to people or companies when you buy things. Example: "I don't have any cash with me. Can I write you a cheque?".
2 bounced: "Bounced" is the right term here. When a cheque "bounces", then payment is refused. This is often because you have written a cheque for more money than you have in your bank account. Example: if Joseph has £12 in his account, but writes a cheque for £84 to pay for some meat, then the cheque will probably bounce when the butcher tries to cash it in'.
3 funds: "Funds" is the term we were looking for here. In this context, "funds" simply means "money". If Edward has "insufficient funds" in his bank account, then he "does not have enough money" in his account.
4 account: "Account" is the right answer here. An "account" in this context is a "bank account": a place to store your money. Most people have a bank account into which their salary goes once a month. You can take money out of your bank account with a card at a cash machine (UK) or ATM (US).
5 overdrawn: "Overdrawn" is the term which Edward uses here. To be "overdrawn" is to have a negative amount of money in your bank account, or to be "in the red". Example: "I'm often overdrawn at the end of the month. At the moment I have -$38 in my account". An "overdraft" is an agreement with your bank that they will lend you some money when you no longer have any!
6 upset: "Upset" is the right term here. If someone is "upset", then they are "sad", "unhappy", or "anxious". In this conversation, Edward is "upset" because he has no money and can't buy a special pair of sunglasses. Here's another example: "I was very upset when my goldfish died".
7 debt: "Debt" is the best answer here. To be "in debt" is to "owe" someone something, especially money, which you need to pay back. When we say "I am in debt", we usually mean that we owe money to the bank. This might be because we borrowed money to pay for university studies, or because we spent more money than we earned in a certain month. Note that the "b" in "debt" is silent: it is pronounced like "dett". Example: "I have been in debt ever since I bought my yacht".
Exercise 3
Listen to the audio, then fill in the blanks with the missing terms.
We're lucky to have a number of new in our team. We have a gang of snails who our payments. Not one has arrived yet!
Listen to the audio, then fill in the blanks with the missing terms.
We're lucky to have a number of new recruits in our team. We have a gang of snails who handle our outgoing payments. Not one check has arrived yet!
Exercise 4
Fill in the blanks below with the following terms:
debit card | cash | change | charge | credit card | cheque
Not all the terms from the list are used in the exercise

A is used to purchase goods and services. It is linked directly to a bank account and payment is instant.

is the remainder or difference of a transaction, or money in coin form.

A is used to purchase goods and services. Payment is based on credit and must be repaid monthly, usually with interest.

The verb "" indicates payment by credit or debit card.
Fill in the blanks below with the following terms:
debit card | cash | change | charge | credit card | cheque
Not all the terms from the list are used in the exercise

A debit card 1 is used to purchase goods and services. It is linked directly to a bank account and payment is instant.

change 2 is the remainder or difference of a transaction, or money in coin form.

A credit card 3 is used to purchase goods and services. Payment is based on credit and must be repaid monthly, usually with interest.

The verb "charge 4" indicates payment by credit or debit card.
1 debit card: A debit card is linked directly to the card holder's bank account (savings or checking, generally), and is used to purchase goods or service directly. Debit cards are also called bank, ATM, or cashpoint cards.
2 change: "Change" has a few meanings, but when speaking of money, the term means both "the difference or remainder of a transaction", as well as "money in coin form". Kevin might find some change in the sofa, or he might receive 5 dollars in change for his purchase of a 15 dollar book with a twenty dollar bill.
3 credit card: Credit cards are used to purchase items on the credit of the card holder. The card holder is billed monthly for any purchases made, generally with interest.
4 charge: As a verb in the financial sense, "to charge" means to fix or ask for payment. The verb has several other meanings in different contexts, but the primary meaning of the term is to "bill an amount of money". The term also indicates that someone is paying by card (credit or debit) as in the sentence: Please charge these boots to my credit card.
Exercise 5
Ms Tetley says she needs "to run a check" on Jean's banking history. She means:
Ms Tetley says she needs "to run a check" on Jean's banking history. She means:
This is not correct. To "write a check" is to write on a special piece of paper that you will give someone some money. In the UK, this term is written "cheque". This is not what "to run a check means".
This is not correct. To "write a check" is to write on a special piece of paper that you will give someone some money. In the UK, this term is written "cheque". This is not what "to run a check means".
This is correct. To "run a check" on someone is to do research into their past. This can be to see that they have no debts, or that they don't have a criminal record. Example: "We run checks on all our potential employees because they will work with children if we hire them".

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