Checklist

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃɛklɪst/

Definitions

1. A systematic tool that compiles items or tasks for verification or completion, serving to ensure thorough and complete execution in various processes
2. An organized compilation that allows for the validation of various requirements or duties, aimed at preventing omissions during task execution
3. A structured list designed to aid in the review and confirmation of various tasks or items, ensuring that nothing is overlooked in the process of completion

Etymology: "Checklist" is a plain compound: "check" joined to "list," so the word describes exactly what it is, a list used for checking. "Check" itself has a long history, passing through Old French "eschec" (the chess term for a threatened king, which is also where "check" in the sense of a stop or restraint comes from) before it reached English, while "list" comes from Old English "liste," meaning a strip or border. Put together, the two parts describe a strip of items to be verified one by one. The compound is transparent enough that its literal meaning has barely shifted over time. What has changed is the range of uses: the word now covers everything from a shopping reminder to a formal set of safety procedures that pilots and surgeons work through before a flight or an operation.

Synonyms: list, inventory, register, agenda, schedule