chuse

See also: chūsè

English

Verb

chuse (third-person singular simple present chuses, present participle chusing or chuseing, simple past chused or chose, past participle chused or chosen)

1. Obsolete spelling of choose
   • 1557, Sir Thomas Wyatt, Tottel's Miscellany, Whether libertie by losse of life, or life in prison and thraldome be to be preferred, page 298:

     Rather therfore to chuſe me thinketh wiſdome.
     By loſſe of life libertye, then life by priſon

   • 1739, [David Hume], A Treatise of Human Nature: […], London: […] John Noon, […], →OCLC; republished as L[ewis] A[mherst] Selby-Bigge, editor, A Treatise of Human Nature […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, 1896, →OCLC, book II (Of the Passions):

     Secondly, When in exerting any passion in action, we chuse means insufficient for the design'd end, and deceive ourselves in our judgment of causes and effects.

   • 1785, [George Colman the Younger], Songs, Duetts, Trios, &c. N^[sic] Turk and No Turk; a Musical Comedy. Performed at the Theatre-Royal in the Hay-Market., London: […] T. Cadell, […], page 21:

     Your maſter, young man, may a laſs adore--- / For his laſs, ’tis confeſt, / He has choſen the beſt; / But he chuſes a woeful ambaſſador!

   • 1808, [Hannah More], chapter XXI, in Cœlebs in Search of a Wife. […], volume I, London: […] [Strahan and Preston] for T[homas] Cadell and W[illiam] Davies, […], →OCLC, page 299:

     But if the Almighty choſe to eſtabliſh his religion by miracles, he chuſes to carry it on by means.

   • 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter II, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 13:

     "Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you chuse," said Mr. Bennet; […]

   • 1820, [Walter Scott], chapter XIII, in The Abbot. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne & Co.] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, […], →OCLC, pages 275–276:

     Our Fathers must hide themselves rather like robbers who chuse a leader, than godly priests who elect a mitred Abbot.

   • 1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter V, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 45:

     "I wonder how you can bear that odious woman's manners," returned her mother; "I expect that you will all grow like her in time. But it is of no use my saying anything; you will go if you chuse." / "Oh, thank you, mamma," cried Georgiana, not chusing to hear any more, and down stairs she ran to communicate the permission.

Derived terms

• chuser

Middle English

Verb

chuse

1. Alternative form of chesen