checkout
CHEK-out
/ˈtʃɛkaʊt/
The place where you pay for the things that you are buying in a supermarket.
Can refer to the physical counter or the process of paying.
The story behind the word. A relatively modern term, 'checkout' emerged in the early 20th century as grocery stores transitioned from clerk-service (where a clerk gathered your items) to self-service, requiring a specific station to 'check' the items 'out' of the store's inventory.
Word relationships
- register: Refers specifically to the machine used to calculate the total and hold the money.
- point of sale: A more technical term used in business to describe where a transaction occurs.
Commonly confused with
- counter: A 'counter' is any flat surface in a store; a 'checkout' is specifically for payment.
Word family
- check out (verb): To pay for goods and leave a store.
Collocations
- checkout counter
- checkout line
- self-checkout
Example sentences
- "The line at the checkout was so long that I decided to leave." Retail
- "Self-service checkouts have become standard in most large supermarkets." Technology
Memory hook
You 'check' your items 'out' of the store at the checkout. Checkout: The exit check for your wallet.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'check out' (verb), which means to look at something or leave a hotel.
Fun facts
- The first self-checkout was installed in a grocery store in 1986.
- Supermarkets place 'impulse buys' like candy and magazines at the checkout because they know you have to wait there.
Related words
Explore more words
self-checkout, fitting room, bazaar, departure, drive-thru, food court
Also appears in
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