checkmate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun complete victory
  2. noun a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king
    mate.
  3. verb place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game
    mate.
    • Kasparov checkmated his opponent after only a few moves

WordNet

Check"mate noun
Etymology
F. échec et mat, fr. Per. shah mat ceckmate, lit., the king is dead, fr. Ar. mata he died, is dead. The king, when made prisoner, or checkmated, is assumed to be dead, and the game is finished. See Chess.
Definitions
  1. The position in the game of chess when a king is in check and cannot be released, -- which ends the game.
  2. A complete check; utter defeat or overthrow.
Check"mate transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Checkmated; present participle & verbal noun Checkmating
Definitions
  1. (Chess) To check (an adversary's king) in such a manner that escape in impossible; to defeat (an adversary) by putting his king in check from which there is no escape.
  2. To defeat completely; to terminate; to thwart.
    To checkmate and control my just demands. Ford.

Webster 1913