chouse: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Rare / ObsoleteArchaic / Literary
Quick answer
What does “chouse” mean?
to cheat, swindle, or trick someone, especially out of money.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
to cheat, swindle, or trick someone, especially out of money.
To deceive or defraud through cunning, artifice, or a trick. Historically, it implies a deliberate act of trickery, often with an element of mockery or humiliation for the victim.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No contemporary difference; the word is equally obsolete in both dialects.
Connotations
Archaic, somewhat whimsical or literary when used today.
Frequency
Effectively zero frequency in modern corpora for both BrE and AmE.
Grammar
How to Use “chouse” in a Sentence
to chouse someone (out of something)to be/get chousedVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “chouse” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The dishonest steward sought to chouse his master out of a year's rents.
- He felt he had been utterly choused in the horse trade.
American English
- The frontier cardsharp was known to chouse greenhorns at poker.
- They choused the investors with false promises of gold.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard) He acted chousingly.
American English
- (Not standard) The deal was settled chousingly.
adjective
British English
- (Rarely used) He was a chousing rogue.
- (As past participle) He was left choused and penniless.
American English
- (Rarely used) She saw through his chousing scheme.
- (As past participle) The choused farmer vowed revenge.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used in modern business contexts. Historical context might refer to fraudulent deals.
Academic
Only encountered in historical or literary studies analyzing older texts.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Not applicable.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “chouse”
- Using it in modern conversation expecting to be understood.
- Spelling as 'chouse' (correct) vs. 'chowse' (incorrect).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered archaic and is very rarely used outside of historical or literary contexts.
Its etymology is uncertain but often suggested to come from a 17th-century incident involving a 'chiaus' (Turkish messenger) who cheated investors, entering English as a verb for cheating.
Historically, yes. A 'chouse' could mean a trickster or the act of cheating itself, but this usage is even rarer than the verb form.
No. It is a word for passive recognition, useful for reading older literature. For active vocabulary, use synonyms like 'swindle' or 'cheat'.
to cheat, swindle, or trick someone, especially out of money.
Chouse is usually archaic / literary in register.
Chouse: in British English it is pronounced /tʃaʊs/, and in American English it is pronounced /tʃaʊs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None in contemporary use”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a MOUSE being chased by a CHEAT. The 'ch' from cheat and the 'ouse' from mouse combine to make 'chouse' – a cheat who chases your money.
Conceptual Metaphor
DECEPTION IS A GAME / TRAP (The victim is 'played' or 'caught').
Practice
Quiz
What is the core meaning of 'chouse'?