To restrain or hold back; to check or impede the progress of something.
From 'en-' plus 'check,' which has complex origins through Old French and Persian 'chāh' (king in chess). The prefix intensifies the meaning of restraint.
The word 'check' itself comes from chess terminology through medieval trade—showing how games influenced everyday language, just as modern tech has brought 'spam' and 'tweet' into common speech.
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