Chest
/tʃɛst/noun
A large box or container, or the front part of the body between the neck and abdomen.
Did you know?The body-part meaning and the “box” meaning are historically separate but both go back to Latin roots tied to enclosed containers, which is why the word feels so physically protective.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷeh₂-
“To put, place, or set down”
Latin
Latin
capsa
“A box, case, or container”
Late Latin
Latin
cista
“A box or chest, especially a wicker container”
Old French
Old French
cheste
“A box, coffer, or trunk”
Middle English
English
cheste
“A box, coffer, or trunk”
Modern English
English
chest
“A large box or container; later also the upper front part of the human body”