Where does “bench cheek” come from?

bench cheek (English) comes from English bench, from Middle English bench, from Old English benċ, from Proto-West Germanic banki, from Proto-Germanic bankiz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeg- — to break.

bench cheek (English): A board firmly attached to the vertical edge of a bench providing a surface to which other objects may be attached

Definitions

  1. A board firmly attached to the vertical edge of a bench providing a surface to which other objects may be attached

Ancestry of “bench cheek”, step by step

bench cheek traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English bench

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbenchA long seat with or without a back, found for...
2Middle Englishbench—
3Old Englishbenċbench
4Proto-West Germanicbankibench
5Proto-Germanicbankiza raised surface; bulge; hillock; slope; bench
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeg-to break

via English cheek

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcheekThe soft skin on each side of the face, below the...
2Middle Englishcheeke—
3Old Englishċēce—
4Proto-West Germanickākājaw, cheek
5Proto-Germanickēkǭ—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵyewh₁-to chew
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeg- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bankiz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic banki →
bench cheek — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer