Cheka

[ che-kah ]
/ ˈtʃɛ kɑ /

noun

(in the Soviet Union) the state secret-police organization (1917–22), succeeded by the GPU.
Compare KGB.

Origin of Cheka

1920–25; < Russian Cheká, Vecheká, names of the initial letters of Vserossíĭskaya chrezvycháĭnaya Kommíssiya ( po bor'bé s kontrarevolyútsieĭ, spekulyátsieĭ i sabotázhem) All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (for the Struggle against Counterrevolution, Speculation and Sabotage)

OTHER WORDS FROM Cheka

Che·kist, noun

Example sentences from the Web for cheka

British Dictionary definitions for cheka

Cheka
/ Russian (ˈtʃɛka) /

noun

Russian history the secret police set up in 1917 by the Bolshevik government: reorganized in the Soviet Union in Dec 1922 as the GPU

Word Origin for Cheka

C20: from Russian, acronym of Chrezvychainaya Komissiya Extraordinary Commission (to combat Counter-Revolution)