cheekbone

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   The bone under each eye that forms the hard curved part of the face on either side of the nose.

   Grammar: Each person has two; the singular is used for injuries: he broke a cheekbone.

   Patterns

   • break a cheekbone
   • fracture the cheekbone

   He fractured his cheekbone when the ball hit him.

   The surgeon repaired the broken cheekbone with a small plate.

   A strong blow to the cheekbone can also damage the eye socket.

2. 2nounusually plural

   The raised part of the face under the eye, considered as a feature of someone's appearance.

   Grammar: Often plural and used with high, strong or prominent: she has high cheekbones.

   Patterns

   • high cheekbones
   • strong cheekbones

   The actor is famous for his sharp cheekbones.

   Her high cheekbones were noticed by the photographer immediately.

   Snow reddened their cheekbones in the cold air.

Word forms

Common combinations

high cheekbones

She has high cheekbones and dark eyes.

prominent cheekbones

His thin face had prominent cheekbones.

broken cheekbone

The player went to the hospital with a broken cheekbone.

strong cheekbones

Strong cheekbones give a face definition.

cheekbone structure

The makeup artist studied her cheekbone structure.

Synonyms and how they differ

zygomatic bone

Zygomatic bone is the formal anatomical name, used in medicine rather than everyday speech where cheekbone is normal.

malar bone

Malar bone is an older technical term for the same bone and is rare outside medical texts.

cheek

Cheek means the soft fleshy side of the face, whereas cheekbone is the hard bone beneath it.

Word family

cheek noun

the soft side of the face

bone noun

a hard part of the skeleton

cheeky adjective

slightly rude in a playful way

jawbone noun

the bone of the lower face

Commonly confused: cheekbone or jawbone?

Practice

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