checkbook
UK[ˈtʃekbʊk]US[ˈtʃekbʊk]
n
A small book containing preprinted checks issued by a bank to an account holder.
Morpheme Breakdown
check
book
check
a written order to a bank
book
a set of bound pages
Etymology
The word 'checkbook' is a transparent modern English compound, formed by combining two nouns of distinct origins. 'Check' has a fascinating journey from the Persian word for 'king' (shāh), which entered European languages through chess terminology ('check!' meaning the king is under attack). This sense of stopping or controlling something evolved into the financial 'check' as a means of controlling and verifying payment. 'Book' derives from the Old English bōc, originally referring to a beechwood tablet used for writing. The compound 'checkbook' logically describes a booklet containing the preprinted forms used to issue such payment orders, a term that solidified with the widespread use of personal banking in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Analysis
Structure: check (a written order to a bank) + book (a set of bound pages)
check: From Middle English chek, via Old French eschec from Persian shāh (king), entering English via the game of chess. In this compound, it functions as the core noun meaning a written order for payment.
book: From Old English bōc (a written document, tablet), of Germanic origin. In this compound, it functions as a noun meaning a bound set of pages or forms.
Examples
I need to order a new checkbook from my bank.
She balanced her checkbook every month to avoid overdraft fees.
He wrote the donation amount in his checkbook register before mailing the check.