noun
- a design chased on metal.
- an object decorated by chasing.
verb (used with object), chased, chas·ing.
- to pursue in order to seize, overtake, etc.: The police officer chased the thief.
- to pursue with intent to capture or kill, as game; hunt: to chase deer.
- to follow or devote one’s attention to with the hope of attracting, winning, gaining, etc.: He chased her for three years before she consented to marry him.
- to drive or expel by force, threat, or harassment: She chased the cat out of the room.
verb (used without object), chased, chas·ing.
- to follow in pursuit: to chase after someone.
- to rush or hasten: We spent the weekend chasing around from one store to another.
noun
- the act of chasing; pursuit: The chase lasted a day.
- an object of pursuit; something chased.
- Chiefly British. a private game preserve; a tract of privately owned land reserved for, and sometimes stocked with, animals and birds to be hunted.
- British. the right of keeping game or of hunting on the land of others.
- a steeplechase.
- the chase, the sport or occupation of hunting.
Verb Phrases
- give chase, to pursue: The hunt began and the dogs gave chase.
- cut to the chase, Informal. to get to the main point.
verb (used with object), chased, chas·ing.
- to ornament (metal) by engraving or embossing.
- to cut (a screw thread), as with a chaser or machine tool.
verb
- to follow or run after (a person, animal, or goal) persistently or quickly
- (tr; often foll by out, away, or off) to force to run (away); drive (out)
- (tr) informal to court (a member of the opposite sex) in an unsubtle manner
- (tr often foll by up) informal to pursue persistently and energetically in order to obtain results, information, etcchase up the builders and get a delivery date
- (intr) informal to hurry; rush
noun
- the act of chasing; pursuit
- any quarry that is pursued
- British an unenclosed area of land where wild animals are preserved to be hunted
- British the right to hunt a particular quarry over the land of others
- the chase the act or sport of hunting
- short for steeplechase
- real tennis a ball that bounces twice, requiring the point to be played again
- cut to the chase informal, mainly US to start talking about the important aspects of something
- give chase to pursue (a person, animal, or thing) actively
noun
- printing a rectangular steel or cast-iron frame into which metal type and blocks making up pages are locked for printing or plate-making
- the part of a gun barrel from the front of the trunnions to the muzzle
- a groove or channel, esp one that is cut in a wall to take a pipe, cable, etc
verb (tr)
- Also: chamfer to cut a groove, furrow, or flute in (a surface, column, etc)
verb (tr)
- Also: enchase to ornament (metal) by engraving or embossing
- to form or finish (a screw thread) with a chaser
mid-13c., chace, “a hunt,” from Old French chace “a hunt, a chase; hunting ground” (12c.), from chacier (see chase (v.)). Meaning “a pursuit” (of an enemy, etc.) is early 14c.
“bore of a gun barrel,” 1640s, from French chas “eye of a needle; enclosure,” from Vulgar Latin *capsum, variant of Latin capsa “box” (see case (n.2)).
c.1300, chacen “to hunt; to cause to go away; put to flight,” from Old French chacier “to hunt, ride swiftly, strive for” (12c., Modern French chasser), from Vulgar Latin *captiare (source of Italian cacciare, Catalan casar, Spanish cazar, Portuguese caçar “to chase, hunt;” see catch (v.)).
Meaning “run after” developed mid-14c. Related: Chased; chasing. Older European words for “pursue” often also cover “persecute” (e.g. Greek dioko, Old English ehtan); modern ones often derive from words used primarily for the hunting of animals.
see ambulance chaser; cut to the chase; give chase; go fly a kite (chase yourself); lead a merry chase; run (chase) after; wild goose chase.