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choose - 6 dictionary results

choose

  [chooz] verb, chose; cho⋅sen or (Obsolete) chose; choos⋅ing.
Use choose in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to select from a number of possibilities; pick by preference: She chose Sunday for her departure.
2. to prefer or decide (to do something): He chose to run for election.
3. to want; desire.
4. (esp. in children's games) to contend with (an opponent) to decide, as by odd or even, who will do something: I'll choose you to see who gets to bat first.
–verb (used without object)
5. to make a choice: He chose carefully.
6. to be inclined: You may stay here, if you choose.
7. (esp. in children's games) to decide, as by means of odd or even, who will do something: Let's choose to see who bats first.
—Verb phrase
8. choose up,
a. to select (players) for a contest or game: The boys chose up sides for the game.
b. to select players for a contest or game: We have to choose up before we can play.
—Idiom
9. cannot choose but, cannot do otherwise than; is or are obliged to: He cannot choose but obey.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME chosen, chēsen, OE cēosan; c. Goth kiusan, OHG kiosan (G kiesen); akin to Gk geúesthai to enjoy, L gustāre to taste (see gusto )

Related forms:
choos⋅a⋅ble, adjective
chooser, noun

Synonyms:
1. Choose, select, pick, elect, prefer indicate a decision that one or more possibilities are to be regarded more highly than others. Choose suggests a decision on one of a number of possibilities because of its apparent superiority: to choose a course of action. Select suggests a choice made for fitness: to select the proper golf club. Pick, an informal word, suggests a selection on personal grounds: to pick a winner. The formal word elect suggests a kind of official action: to elect a representative. Prefer, also formal, emphasizes the desire or liking for one thing more than for another or others: to prefer coffee to tea.

Antonyms:
1. reject.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To choose
choose   (chōōz)   
v.   chose (chōz), cho·sen (chō'zən), choos·ing, choos·es

v.   tr.
  1. To select from a number of possible alternatives; decide on and pick out.
    1. To prefer above others: chooses the supermarket over the neighborhood grocery store.
    2. To determine or decide: chose to fly rather than drive.
v.   intr.
To make a choice; make a selection: was used to doing as she chose.
Phrasal Verb(s):
choose upTo choose players and form sides or teams for a game, such as baseball or softball.

Idiom(s):
cannot choose butCan only do; cannot do otherwise: We cannot choose but to observe the rules.

[Middle English chesen, from Old English cēosan; see geus- in Indo-European roots.]
choos'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Choose

Choose\, v. t. [imp. Chose; p. p. Chosen, Chose (Obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. Choosing.] [OE. chesen, cheosen, AS. ce['o]san; akin to OS. kiosan, D. kiezen, G. kiesen, Icel. kj[=o]sa, Goth. kiusan, L. gustare to taste, Gr. ?, Skr. jush to enjoy. [root]46. Cf. Choice, 2d Gust.]

1. To make choice of; to select; to take by way of preference from two or more objects offered; to elect; as, to choose the least of two evils.

Choose me for a humble friend. --Pope.

2. To wish; to desire; to prefer. [Colloq.]

The landlady now returned to know if we did not choose a more genteel apartment. --Goldsmith.

To choose sides. See under Side.

Syn: Syn. - To select; prefer; elect; adopt; follow.

Usage: To Choose, Prefer, Elect. To choose is the generic term, and denotes to take or fix upon by an act of the will, especially in accordance with a decision of the judgment. To prefer is to choose or favor one thing as compared with, and more desirable than, another, or more in accordance with one's tastes and feelings. To elect is to choose or select for some office, employment, use, privilege, etc., especially by the concurrent vote or voice of a sufficient number of electors. To choose a profession; to prefer private life to a public one; to elect members of Congress.

Choose

Choose\, v. i. 1. To make a selection; to decide.

They had only to choose between implicit obedience and open rebellion. --Prescott.

2. To do otherwise. "Can I choose but smile?" --Pope.

Can not choose but, must necessarily.

Thou canst not choose but know who I am. --Shak.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : choose
Spanish: escoger,
German: wählen,
Japanese: 選ぶ
More Translations »

choose 
O.E. ceosan "choose, taste, try" (class II strong verb; past tense ceas, pp. coren), from P.Gmc. *keusanan, from PIE base *geus- "to taste, relish" (see gusto). Variant spelling chuse is M.E., very frequent 16c.-18c. Only remotely related to choice. The irregular pp. leveled out to chosen by 1200. Choosy is Amer.Eng. 1862.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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choose

In addition to the idiom beginning with choose, also see beggars can't be choosers; pick and choose. Also see under choice.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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