- the lower part of a person's or animal's cheek (= part of the face below the eyes), especially when it is loose and hangs down
- a man with heavy jowls
Word OriginOld English ceole (related to German Kehle ‘throat, gullet’), partly merged with Old English ceafl ‘jaw’ (related to Dutch kevels ‘cheekbones’).Definitions on the go
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Idioms
See jowl in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionarycheek by jowl (with somebody/something)
- very close to somebody/something
- The guests, packed cheek by jowl, parted as he entered.
Check pronunciation:
jowl