cheek by jowl
In very close physical proximityIn very close physical proximity; crowded together; side by side.
Meaning
2 senses(UK, idiomatic)In very close physical proximity; crowded together; side by side.
in close proximity
(UK, figuratively, idiomatic)In very close or intimate association.
Translations
2 languagesOrigin
From cheek + by + jowl (“cheek; jaw”) (or possibly jowl (“fold of fatty flesh under the chFrom cheek + by + jowl (“cheek; jaw”) (or possibly jowl (“fold of fatty flesh under the chin, around the cheeks, or lower jaw; cheek”) or jowl (“(obsolete) head”)), suggesting people so close to each other that the cheek of one person is next to the jowl of another.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
more cheek by jowl, most cheek by jowl| Comparative | more cheek by jowl Lesson |
|---|---|
| Superlative | most cheek by jowl |
regular
Synonyms
5 synonymsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A2Comparatives — Because it has a comparative form
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.