checkmate
UK[ˌtʃekˈmeɪt]US[ˈtʃekˌmeɪt]
n
A position in chess in which a player's king is under direct attack and has no possible move to escape, meaning that player has lost the game.
v
To put an opponent's king in this position, thereby winning the game.
n
A situation of complete defeat or deadlock.
Morpheme Breakdown
check
mate
check
stop
mate
defeated
Etymology
The word 'checkmate' entered English in the 14th century from the Old French phrase 'eschec mat', which itself was borrowed from Arabic 'al-shāh māta' (the king is dead) or Persian 'shāh māt' (the king is helpless). The Persian 'shāh' is the source of the first element, which evolved in French and English to the general chess term 'check', meaning to threaten the king. The second element, 'mate', conclusively signals the king's defeat. Thus, the literal morphemic logic of "stop/attack" + "defeated" perfectly captures the final, inescapable move of the game, a concept later extended metaphorically to any situation of utter defeat or stalemate.
Analysis
Structure: check (stop) + mate (defeated)
- check: From Old French 'eschec', from Persian 'shāh' (king). In this compound, it functions with the sense of "to stop" or "to threaten the king".
- mate: From Old French 'mat', from Arabic 'māta' (he died) or Persian 'māt' (defeated, helpless). In this compound, it functions as a suffix meaning "defeated" or "at a loss".
Examples
With a clever move of his queen, he declared checkmate.
The new evidence presented by the prosecution checkmated the defense's argument.
The negotiations reached a checkmate, with neither side willing to compromise.