Forms: 3–5 choys, 4 chois, 5–7 choyse, 6–7 choise, choyce, 6– choice. [ME. chois, choys, a. OF. chois (mod.F. choix), f. chois-ir to choose. Choisir (ONF. coisir) is cognate with Pr. causir, chausir, whence OIt. ciausire, OSp. *cosir (in cosido seen), Pg. *cousir (in cousimento choice):—Romanic *causire ad. Ger. kausjan, in Gothic, to try, test, prove, taste, deriv. of kiusan, pa. t. kaus, to try, test, prove, discern, perceive, see, CHOOSE. The Rom. vb. had also in early times the senses ‘perceive, see,’ as well as ‘discern, choose.’ The Fr. word chois supplanted the OE. cyre, early ME. kire, cure(ü):—WGer. kuri:—OTeut. kuzi-z, f. kuz- weak grade of keus- to CHOOSE.
The fact that kire, cure, had in its phonetic development become so completely detached from any current inflexion of CHOOSE, while this French word lay phonetically so near, and so naturally suggested relationship to choose, chose, chosen, without doubt led to the displacement of the native by the alien word. The continuous mutual influence of the sb. and vb. is evidenced by the fact that there arose also a sb. CHOOSE and a vb. CHOISE.]
1. The act of choosing; preferential determination between things proposed; selection, election.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 2415. Þe strengeste we schal bi choys and bi lot al so Chese out.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 273. Of his owne chois.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 58. Cosyn he [Octavian] was onto Julius Cesar, and, be choys, his son.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 3 b. Admitted as children by adopcyon or choyse.
1528. More, Dial. Heresyes, I. Wks. 165/1. What coulde I do further than praye for grace to gyde my choyce.
1640. Quarles, Enchirid., II. xxix. Be very circumspect in the choise of thy company.
a. 1687. H. More, Antid. Ath., Pref. Gen. (1712), 23. Being put to his choice whether he would yield to that, or the abuse of his body.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., II. xli. 531. The choice of the people is the best and purest title to reign over them.
1872. Ruskin, Munera Pulv., Pref. (1880), p. xv. In the choice of the elements of wealth.
1876. Green, Short Hist., viii. § 10. 568. With this body too … lay the choice of all future Protectors.
b. To make choice of: to choose, select. To make a choice: to perform the act of choosing. To take one’s choice: perh. orig., to take after selection; but now usually, to choose what one will take or have.
1581. Lambarde, Eiren., II. vii. (1588), 214. This law requireth that he … do therwithall make choise.
1611. Bible, Acts xv. 7. God made choise among vs, that the Gentiles by my mouth should heare the worde of the Gospel, and beleeue.
1660. Blount, Boscobel, I. (1680), 50. The Colonel made choise of a thick leafed Oak.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 101. Take to thee from among the Cherubim Thy choice of flaming Warriours.
1727. De Foe, Syst. Magic, I. i. (1840), 12. As if Heaven had not already made the best choice for us.
1884. Miss Braddon, Ishmael, III. vii. 172. The dancers could take their choice in the motley crowd of dames and damsels, all masked, and therefore all on equal terms as to beauty.
1887. J. Rae, in Gd. Words, 237. He made the choice then without a back-thought.
c. By, for, of († in, with) choice: by preference. Without choice: without distinction, indiscriminately.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 11014. Twey men were yn choys to take.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 289. Since … his workes without choice be condemned as Hereticall.
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, xxxix. (1887), 197. Is the vse of their weapon with choice, for their calling, any blemish vnto them?
1885. Punch, 2 May, 210/1. Cutting blasts of wind, which seemed to blow from every quarter at once, but from the North and East for choice.
1887. Miss Braddon, Like & Unlike, III. ii. 25. I have ties in Kilrush…. Otherwise, for choice, I should infinitely prefer Chadford.
2. The power, right or faculty of choosing; option.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8550 (Gött.). Mi lauerd has þe sent word bi me To giue þe choys of thinges thre.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, IV. clii. This sufficeth … For to destroye our fre choys everydele.
1413. Lydgate, Pilgr. Sowle, IV. xxiii. (1483), 69. This is nought in thyn choys.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 206. I must (no choice) Away of forse, like posting horse.
1663. Cowley, Ess., v. Garden. Happy art Thou whom God does bless With the full choice of thine own Happiness.
1841. Lane, Arab. Nts., I. 82. I have given thee thy choice of the manner in which thou wilt die.
b. † To be at one’s choice: to act as one chooses, do as one pleases (obs.). At choice: at pleasure. To have one’s choice: to have the right or privilege of choosing.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 246. If suche companies will not keepe the peace, let them be at their choise.
1583. T. Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., II. 34. That euery man … maie be at his free choise so to vse them [etc.].
1693. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 332. We may be at our choice; In nostra potestate est; manu est situm.
1810. Lamb, Lett. to Manning, 2 Jan. I have chosen that [title], if ever I should have my choice.
1817. Colebrooke, Algebra Hindus, 270. These, with the two coefficients … taking them at choice, furnish the values [etc.].
1875. ‘Mrs. Alexander,’ The Wooin’ o’t, xxxiii. I should not hesitate for a moment, had I the choice.
c. Hobson’s choice: the option of taking the one thing offered or nothing.
Named from Tobias Hobson, the Cambridge carrier (commemorated by Milton in two Epitaphs), who let out horses, and is said to have compelled customers to take the horse which happened to be next the stable-door, or go without. See Spectator, 1712, No. 509.
1660. S. Fisher, Rusticks Alarm, Wks. (1679), 128. If in this Case there be no other (as the Proverb is) then Hobson’s choice to be made, which is, chuse whether you will have this or none.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., II. 331. The Masters were left to Hobsons choice, to choose Bennet and no body else.
a. 1708. T. Ward, Eng. Ref. (1716), 326 (D.). Where to elect there is but one, ’Tis Hobson’s choice, Take that or none.
a. 1734. North, Life Ld. Guildford (1808), I. 163 (D.). They wanted a competition to make the money fly; and they said, Hobson’s choice was no choice.
1858. R. S. Surtees, Ask Mamma, xliii. 189. It was a case of Hobson’s choice with them.
3. That which is specially chosen or to be chosen on account of its excellence, the preferable part of anything, the ‘pick,’ ‘flower,’ élite.
1494. Fabyan, VII. 533. The sayde wyne was so plenteuouse in Englonde, that a tunne therof was solde for a marke, & xxs. the choyse.
1611. Bible, Gen. xxiii. 6. Heare vs, my Lord, thou art a mightie Prince amongst vs: in the choise of our sepulchres bury thy dead.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea (1847), 191. Our enemies [were] thirteene hundred men and boyes, little more or lesse, and those of the choise of Peru.
1671. Milton, P. R., III. 313. The flower and choice of many Provinces.
1785. Gibbon, Misc. Wks. (1814), II. 375. The choice of a chosen library.
1878. Browning, La Saisiaz, 20. What I think were … Most the choice for quiet.
b. concr. A choice or picked company.
1595. Shaks., John, II. i. 72. A brauer choyse of dauntlesse spirits … Did neuer flote upon the swelling tide.
4. Abundance and variety to choose from; scope or field for choice.
[1486. Cf. CHOOSE sb. 3.]
1586. Cogan, Haven Health, vi. (1636), 29. As of Wheate, so likewise of Barley there is great choice to bee had.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., I. i. 133. Faith (as you say) there’s small choise in rotten apples.
1617. Markham, Caval., I. 56. In England where we have so many choyces of good foodes.
1700. Wallis, in Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), I. 314. Here is more choise of tutors to be had.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Loom & Lugger, I. v. 80. She had an unusual choice of cambrics and silks.
b. An abundant and well-chosen supply.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., V. v. 16. So Diuine So full repleate with choice of all delights.
1606–9. Bp. Hall, Medit. Cant., iii. (1803), Dedic. I offer them to you, not for that yourself are not stored with choice of better, but as [etc.].
5. The person or thing chosen or selected.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., III. iv. 31. Qui. M. Slender would speak a word with you. An. I come to him. This is my Fathers choice.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., X. 74. For me, the Wilds and Desarts are my Choice.
1792. Swain, Hymn, ‘Come ye souls,’ iv. His commandments Then become their happy choice.
b. A person (or thing) to be chosen. rare.
1806. Temple of Truth, 342. No man … will contend that the pleasures of sense are the best Choice.
1818. Mill, Brit. India, III. i. 25. Pointed him out as a most eligible choice.
† 6. Care in choosing, circumspection, judgment, discrimination. With choice (F. avec choix): elegantly. Obs.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. 20. Therefore in my iudgement is there great choise to be made of schoolmaisters.
1625. Bacon, Apophthegmes, Pref. They were collected with Iudgement, and Choice.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 415. Here he had need All circumspection, and we now no less Choice in our suffrage.
1765. H. Walpole, Otranto, Pref. Every Italian or Frenchman of any rank piques himself on speaking his own tongue correctly and with choice.
† 7. Special value, estimation. Obs.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, III. vii. 26. This Ring he holds In most rich choice.
8. An ALTERNATIVE: used both in the exact and the loose senses of that word, i.e., of the terms between which one may choose, or a term that may be chosen.
1794. Paley, Evid., II. ix. § 3 (1817), 269. Death or conversion was the only choice offered to idolaters.
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq., IV. xviii. 146. In dealing with William the Conqueror there were only two choices, unconditional submission and resistance to the last.
1876. Green, Short Hist., v. § 1. 217. The refusal of the French sovereign … left no choice for him but war.
1886. Athenæum, 30 Oct., 565/1. If a man is not orthodox he has no choice but to be rigidly scientific.
9. attrib. and Comb., as choice-making, -picked, -worthy; choice-drawn, chosen with special care; † choice-mote, a meeting for election.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., III. Prol. 24. These cull’d and *choyse-drawne Caualiers.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. xxviii. 104. He thought yt God without any *choycemaking did unadvisedly outrage ageinst men.
1618. Bolton, Florus, IV. ii. 267. In the first comitial assembly, or *choyse-moote.
1647. N. Bacon, Hist. Disc., ii. 3. A *choice picked place from all the earth.
1865. J. Grote, Treat. Moral Ideas, viii. (1876), 103. Ideals … of deedworthy conduct … of *choiceworthy aim.
