Save Type Settlement & Body of Water Usage English (American) Pronounced Pron. /ˈtʃɛs.ə.piːk/(American English) [key·simplify] Other Forms FormsChesepiook Meaning & History A bay and a city in Virginia. The name is derived from the Algonquian word chesepiooc meaning "at a big river" or "great water". A local legend claims that the name means "great shellfish bay".