chess-man

chess-man

A player moves a chess-man on the board.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A piece used in the game of chess: "chess-man" refers to any of the 16 pieces that each player controls on a chessboard, including pawns, knights, bishops, rooks, queens, and kings. The term is synonymous with "chess piece."
Usage Examples
  • Noun:
    • He carefully picked up each chess-man and placed it on its starting square. (A piece used in chess.)
    • The chess-man fell off the board, and the player had to retrieve it. (A physical piece used in the game.)
Advanced Usage
  • "Chess-man" as a collective term: While often used interchangeably with "chess piece," "chess-man" can specifically emphasize the anthropomorphic or representational nature of the pieces, as in a set where each piece is carved to resemble a human figure or a traditional design.
    • The antique set featured intricately carved chess-men representing medieval soldiers and royalty. (The pieces were designed to look like people.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Chess piece (n): a more common synonym for "chess-man," referring to any of the pieces used in chess.

    • She moved her chess piece to capture the opponent's queen. (A piece used in the game.)

  • Chess set (n): the complete collection of chess pieces and the board.

    • He bought a new chess set with wooden chess-men. (A set of pieces and a board.)

  • Chessboard (n): the board on which chess-men are placed and moved.

    • The chessboard has 64 squares arranged in an 8x8 grid. (The playing surface.)
Synonyms
  • Chess piece: a piece used in the game of chess.
  • Piece: in the context of chess, any of the objects used to play the game.
  • Figure: a carved or molded representation used in chess.
Related Idioms
  • There are no common idioms that specifically use "chess-man." However, the word "pawn" (a type of chess-man) appears in idioms such as:
    • Pawn in someone's game: a person used by others for their own purposes.
      • He felt like a mere pawn in the corporate power struggle. (He was used as a tool by others.)
Note
  • Spelling and usage: "Chess-man" is often written as chessman (one word) or chess man (two words). All forms are acceptable, but "chessman" is the most common in modern dictionaries. The plural is chess-men or chessmen.