a written order directing a bank to pay money
"he paid all his bills by check"
A draft directing a bank to pay money to a named person or entity.
"The accountant deposited the cheque into his business account after verifying that it was drawn on the correct bank."
In plain English: A cheque is a piece of paper you give to someone so they can get money from your bank account instead of cashing it yourself.
"The shopkeeper told me to write out a cheque if I didn't have enough cash on hand."
Usage: Use this spelling in British English and other Commonwealth regions, while American English prefers the variant check. It functions as a noun referring specifically to a negotiable instrument used for making payments by drawing funds from a bank account.
The word cheque is a variant spelling of check that likely gained its specific financial meaning through influence from "exchequer." It first appeared in English usage during the 1790s to describe an instrument for transferring funds.