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Added 9 October 2026

chase

/t͡ʃeɪs/ noun

In Latin: īnsectātiō Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about chase at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The act of one who chases another; a pursuit.
A hunt; the act of hunting; the pursuit of game.
A children's game where one player chases another.

verb

To pursue. To follow at speed. To hunt. To seek to attain.
The team are chasing their first home win this season.
To follow at speed.
To hunt.

noun

A rectangular steel or iron frame into which pages or columns of type are locked for printing or plate-making.

noun

A groove cut in an object; a slot: the chase for the quarrel on a crossbow.
A trench or channel or other encasement structure for encasing (archaically spelled enchasing) drainpipes or wiring; a hollow space in the wall of a building encasing ventilation ducts, chimney flues, wires, cables or plumbing.
The part of a gun in front of the trunnions.

Origin

From Middle English chacen, from Anglo-Norman chacer, Old French chacier, from Vulgar Latin *captiāre, from Latin captāre, frequentative of capere. Compare French chasser (“to hunt”, “to chase”), Spanish cazar (“to hunt”), Portuguese caçar (“to hunt”) , see Norwegian skysse (“to hunt”). Doublet of catch and related to capture. Displaced native Old English ōht, ēhtnes, and wāþ. Broadly overtook Old English huntaþ.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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