czech

IPA/tʃek/
KK[tʃˈɛk]IPA/tʃek/

czech — adjective

  • czechpositive
  • czechercomparative
  • czechestsuperlative

1. from the country called the Czech Republic; or describing something that belongs

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

from the country called the Czech Republic; or describing something that belongs to or is connected with that country — for example, its food, its art, its language, or the people who live there.

Example

Tamás bought a beautiful Czech glass vase from a shop in Prague.

collocation: Czech glass / Czech food / Czech history

Sora's favourite writer is a Czech author who wrote stories about village life.

Common collocations
  • Czech beer
  • Czech glass
  • Czech language
  • Czech Republic
  • Czech history
  • Czech culture
  • Czech tradition
  • Czech film
  • Czech food

Grammar Patterns

czech + noun

Usage Note

Always used before a noun. Do not confuse with 'Czechoslovak', which refers to the former country Czechoslovakia that existed until 1992.

Common Mistakes

I bought a Czechoslovak beer.
I bought a Czech beer.
Use 'Czech' for things from the modern Czech Republic; 'Czechoslovak' refers to the former country that no longer exists.

czech — noun

Word family

  • Czechia
    nounB1
  • Czechoslovak
    adjectiveB1
  • Czechoslovakia
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Czech refers to anything from the modern Czech Republic (after 1993), including people, language, culture, and products. Czechoslovak describes the former country Czechoslovakia, which split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993; use it only for historical contexts, such as 'Czechoslovak history' or 'Czechoslovak athletes from the 1980s'. Bohemian refers to the historical region of Bohemia (the western part of the Czech Republic) and is also used for 'a person living an artistic, unconventional life' — a meaning that has nothing to do with the country. For example: 'She is a Czech designer based in Prague' (modern), 'The Czechoslovak team won the gold medal in 1968' (historical), and 'He lived a bohemian lifestyle in Paris' (artistic).

Czech ↗CzechoslovakBohemian ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • Czech Republic
  • Czech language
  • Czech people

Etymology

Old CzechPolishEnglish

The word 'Czech' comes from the Czech name 'Čech', the legendary ancestor who led the Slavic people into the region. The English spelling was borrowed from Polish in the 19th century, based on Czech pronunciation. Before that, English usually called the area 'Bohemia' and its people 'Bohemians'.

First known use

1841

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1