Checkmate
/ˈtʃɛkˌmeɪt/noun
A move in chess that places the opponent’s king in a position from which escape is impossible, ending the game.
Did you know?The word comes through Old French from Persian chess language, where the king’s defeat was announced with a phrase meaning he was “helpless,” not magically slain.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*segh-
“to hold, overpower, or conquer”
Old Persian
Persian
šāh
“king”
Arabic
Arabic
šāh māt
“the king is helpless / defeated”
Old French
Old French
eschec mat
“the king is defeated in chess”
Middle English
English
chekmate
“the final move that ends a chess game by trapping the king”
Modern English
English
checkmate
“a position in chess where the king cannot escape capture”