Definition

Noun: A mild, yellow, crumbly-textured cheese originally from the county of Cheshire in England. It is one of the oldest recorded British cheeses.

Usage

"Cheshire cheese" is used as a singular, uncountable noun to refer to this specific type of cheese. It is typically used in contexts discussing food, cooking, or British produce. * For a sandwich, I prefer Cheshire cheese to cheddar. * The recipe calls for 200 grams of grated Cheshire cheese.

Examples

• We bought a wedge of Cheshire cheese from the market.
• Cheshire cheese is often used in traditional Welsh rarebit.
• The flavor of this Cheshire cheese is particularly mild and creamy.

Advanced Usage

• "Like a Cheshire cat": While not a direct usage of the cheese itself, this famous idiom from ("grinning like a Cheshire cat") is often humorously linked to the cheese, suggesting the cat's grin is as wide and distinctive as the cheese is famous from the region.
  • He sat there grinning like a Cheshire cat, refusing to tell us the joke.

Variants and Related Words

• Cheshire: In informal British contexts, the cheese is sometimes referred to simply as "Cheshire."
  • I'll have the ploughman's lunch with Cheshire, please.
• Blue Cheshire: A variant of the cheese with blue veins, similar to Stilton but with a crumblier texture.

Synonyms

• English cheese: A general term, but not specific.
• Crumbly cheese: Describes the texture, but not the specific type (e.g., Wensleydale or Lancashire are also crumbly).

Different Meanings

The term "Cheshire cheese" refers exclusively to the food product. It does not have other distinct meanings. The primary element "Cheshire" is a proper noun referring to the English county.

Noun

1. a mild yellow English cheese with a crumbly texture