verb (used with object),chose;cho·sen or (Obsolete)chose;choos·ing.
to select from a number of possibilities; pick by preference: She chose Sunday for her departure.
to prefer or decide (to do something): He chose to run for election.
to want; desire: I choose moving to the city.
(especially 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),chose;cho·sen or (Obsolete)chose;choos·ing.
to make a choice, or select from two or more possibilities: Accepted by several colleges, the boy chose carefully.
to be inclined: You may stay here, if you choose.
(especially 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 Phrases
choose up,
to select (players) for a contest or game: The kids chose up sides for the game.
to select players for a contest or game: We have to choose up before we can play.
Idioms
cannot choose but, cannot do otherwise than; is or are obliged to: He cannot choose but obey.
Origin of choose
before 1000;Middle Englishchosen,chēsen,Old Englishcēosan; cognate with Gothickiusan,Old High Germankiosan (Germankiesen); akin to Greekgeúesthai to enjoy, Latingustāre to taste (see gusto)
Related formschoos·a·ble, adjectivechoos·er, nounpre·choose, verb (used with object),pre·chose,pre·cho·sen,pre·choos·ing.re·choose, verb,re·chose,re·cho·sen,re·choos·ing.un·choos·a·ble, adjectiveCan be confusedchewschoose
Synonym study
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.
Old English ceosan "choose, seek out, select; decide, test, taste, try; accept, approve" (class II strong verb; past tense ceas, past participle coren), from Proto-Germanic *keus- (cf. Old Frisian kiasa, Old Saxon kiosan, Dutch kiezen, Old High German kiosan, German kiesen, Old Norse kjosa, Gothic kiusan "choose," Gothic kausjan "to taste, test"), from PIE root *geus- "to taste, relish" (see gusto). Only remotely related to choice. Variant spelling chuse is Middle English, very frequent 16c.-18c. The irregular past participle leveled out to chosen by 1200.
