Slangora

cheek by jowl

In very close physical proximity; crowded together; side by side.

ˌt͡ʃiːk baɪ ˈd͡ʒaʊl126 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇬🇧 British & Irish slang
3 definitions
Community

Definitions

UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK

In very close physical proximity; crowded together; side by side.

Origin: From (or possibly jowl or jowl), suggesting people so close to each other that the cheek of one person is next to the jowl of another. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Was this helpful?

Comments

UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK

(figurative) In very close or intimate association.

Was this helpful?

Comments

UK
#3·Apr 27, 2026UK

(chiefly, UK, idiomatic) Often in the form cheek-by-jowl: in very close physical proximity; crowded together; tightly packed.

As we drove at breakneck speed through the streets, I could not help but be overwhelmed by the gaunt and desperate faces of the people, the endless squatter settlements of cheek-by-jowl, single-room shacks surrounded by ankle-deep mud, a…
Was this helpful?

Comments

Used in

UK

Have a better definition?

Add your own interpretation of "cheek by jowl".

Add definition

🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang

UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.

See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.

Tags

Other words near "cheek by jowl" (C)

Browse all slang words starting with C.

Related terms

People also read

Semantically related