chess Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun weedy annual native to Europe but widely distributed as a weed especially in wheat
    cheat; Bromus secalinus.
  2. noun a board game for two players who move their 16 pieces according to specific rules; the object is to checkmate the opponent's king
    chess game.

WordNet

Chess noun
Etymology
OE. ches, F. échecs, prop. pl. of échec check. See 1st Check.
Definitions
  1. A game played on a chessboard, by two persons, with two differently colored sets of men, sixteen in each set. Each player has a king, a queen, two bishops, two knights, two castles or rooks, and eight pawns.
Chess noun
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A species of brome grass (Bromus secalinus) which is a troublesome weed in wheat flelds, and is often erroneously regarded as degenerate or changed wheat; it bears a very slight resemblance to oats, and if reaped and ground up with wheat, so as to be used for food, is said to produce narcotic effects; -- called also cheat and Willard's bromus. U. S. ✍ Other species of brome grass are called upright chess, soft chess, etc.

Webster 1913