a book containing blank checks that allows someone to withdraw money from their bank account by writing.
From 'check' (from Persian 'chekk') combined with 'book.' The 'check' became a financial instrument in the 17th century, and the checkbook as a bound collection became standard in the 20th century.
Checkbooks were such a dominant form of payment that 'checkbook diplomacy' became a phrase for solving problems with money—but today they're nearly obsolete in many countries, making them a fascinating artifact of how quickly our financial habits shift.
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