Chasm Chasm noun [ Latin chasma , Greek ..., from ... to grape, to open wide. See Chaos .] 1. A deep opening made by disruption, as a breach in the earth or a rock; a yawning abyss; a cleft; a fissure.

That deep, romantic chasm which slanted down the green hill.
Coleridge.

2. A void space; a gap or break, as in ranks of men.

Memory . . . fills up the chasms of thought.
Addison.

Chasmed Chasmed adjective Having gaps or a chasm. [ R.]

Chasmy Chas"my adjective Of or pertaining to a chasm; abounding in chasms. Carlyle.

They cross the chasmy torrent's foam-lit bed.
Wordsworth.

Chasse Chas`se" noun [ French, from chassé , past participle of chasser to chase.] A movement in dancing, as across or to the right or left.

Chasse Chas`se" intransitive verb (Dancing) To make the movement called chassé; as, all chassé ; chassé to the right or left.

Chasse Chasse noun [ See Chasse- cafÉ ] A small potion of spirituous liquor taken to remove the taste of coffee, tobacco, or the like; -- originally chasse-café , lit., "coffee chaser."

Chasse-café Chasse`-ca`fé" noun [ French, from chasser to chase + café coffee.] See Chasse , noun , above.

Chasse-marée Chasse`-ma`rée" noun [ French, from chasser to chase + marée tide.] (Nautical) A French coasting lugger.

Chasselas Chas"se·las noun [ French, from the village of Chasselas .] A white grape, esteemed for the table.

Chassepot Chasse`pot" noun [ From the French inventor, A. A. Chassepot .] (Mil.) A kind of breechloading, center-fire rifle, or improved needle gun.

Chasseur Chas`seur" noun [ French, a huntsman. See Chase to pursue.] 1. (Mil.) One of a body of light troops, cavalry or infantry, trained for rapid movements.

2. An attendant upon persons of rank or wealth, wearing a plume and sword.

The great chasseur who had announced her arrival.
W. Irving.

Chassis Chas"sis noun [ French châssis .] (Mil.) A traversing base frame, or movable railway, along which the carriage of a barbette or casemate gun moves backward and forward. [ See Gun carriage .]

Chassis Chas"sis noun The under part of an automobile, consisting of the frame (on which the body is mounted) with the wheels and machinery.

Chast Chast (chāst) transitive verb to chasten. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Chaste Chaste (chāst) adjective [ French chaste , from Latin castus pure, chaste; confer Greek kaqaro`s pure, Sanskrit çudth to purify.]

1. Pure from unlawful sexual intercourse; virtuous; continent. "As chaste as Diana." Shak.

Whose bed is undefiled and chaste pronounced.
Milton.

2. Pure in thought and act; innocent; free from lewdness and obscenity, or indecency in act or speech; modest; as, a chaste mind; chaste eyes.

3. Pure in design and expression; correct; free from barbarisms or vulgarisms; refined; simple; as, a chaste style in composition or art.

That great model of chaste , lofty, and eloquence, the Book of Common Prayer.
Macaulay.

4. Unmarried. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Syn. -- Undefiled; pure; virtuous; continent; immaculate; spotless.

Chaste tree . Same as Agnus castus .

Chastely Chaste"ly adverb In a chaste manner; with purity.

Chasten Chas"ten (chā"s'n) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Chastened (-s'nd); present participle & verbal noun Chastening .] [ Middle English chastien , Old French Chastier , French Ch...tier , from Latin castigare to punish, chastise; castus pure + agere to lead, drive. See Chaste , Act , and confer Castigate , Chastise .] 1. To correct by punishment; to inflict pain upon the purpose of reclaiming; to discipline; as, to chasten a son with a rod.

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth .
Hebrew xii. 6.

2. To purify from errors or faults; to refine.

They [ classics] chasten and enlarge the mind, and excite to noble actions.
Layard.

Syn. -- To chastise; punish; correct; discipline; castigate; afflict; subdue; purify. To Chasten , Punish , Chastise . To chasten is to subject to affliction or trouble, in order to produce a general change for the better in life or character. To punish is to inflict penalty for violation of law, disobedience to authority, or intentional wrongdoing. To chastise is to punish a particular offense, as with stripes, especially with the hope that suffering or disgrace may prevent a repetition of faults.

Chastened Chas"tened adjective Corrected; disciplined; refined; purified; toned down. Sir. W. Scott.

Of such a finished chastened purity.
Tennyson.

Chastener Chas"ten·er noun One who chastens.

Chasteness Chaste"ness noun 1. Chastity; purity.

2. (Literature & Art) Freedom from all that is meretricious, gaudy, or affected; as, chasteness of design.

Chastisable Chas·tis"a·ble adjective Capable or deserving of chastisement; punishable. Sherwood.

Chastise Chas·tise" (chăs*tīz") transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Chastised (- tīzd"); present participle & verbal noun Chastising .] [ Middle English chastisen ; chastien + ending -isen + modern -ise , -ize , Latin - izare , Greek -i`zein . See Chasten .] 1. To inflict pain upon, by means of stripes, or in any other manner, for the purpose of punishment or reformation; to punish, as with stripes.

How fine my master is! I am afraid
He will chastise me.
Shak.

I am glad to see the vanity or envy of the canting chemists thus discovered and chastised .
Boyle.

2. To reduce to order or obedience; to correct or purify; to free from faults or excesses.

The gay, social sense, by decency chastised .
Thomson.

Syn. -- See Chasten .

Chastisement Chas"tise·ment noun [ From Chastise .] The act of chastising; pain inflicted for punishment and correction; discipline; punishment.

Shall I so much dishonor my fair stars,
On equal terms to give him chastesement !
Shak.

I have borne chastisement ; I will not offend any more.
Job xxxiv. 31.

Chastiser Chas·tis"er noun One who chastises; a punisher; a corrector. Jer. Taylor.

The chastiser of the rich.
Burke.

Chastity Chas"ti·ty noun [ French chasteté , from Latin castitas , from castus . See Chaste .] 1. The state of being chaste; purity of body; freedom from unlawful sexual intercourse.

She . . . hath preserved her spotless chastity .
T. Carew.

2. Moral purity.

So dear to heaven is saintly chastity ,
That, when a soul is found sicerely so
A thousand liveried angels lackey her.
Milton.

3. The unmarried life; celibacy. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

4. (Literature & Art) Chasteness.

Chasuble Chas"u·ble noun [ French chasuble , Late Latin casubula , cassibula , casula , a hooded garment, covering the person like a little house; confer Italian casupola , casipola , cottage, dim of Latin casa cottage.] (Eccl.) The outer vestment worn by the priest in saying Mass, consisting, in the Roman Catholic Church, of a broad, flat, back piece, and a narrower front piece, the two connected over the shoulders only. The back has usually a large cross, the front an upright bar or pillar, designed to be emblematical of Christ's sufferings. In the Greek Church the chasuble is a large round mantle. [ Written also chasible , and chesible .]

Chat Chat intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Chatted ; present participle & verbal noun Chatting .] [ From Chatter . √22.] To talk in a light and familiar manner; to converse without form or ceremony; to gossip. Shak.

To chat a while on their adventures.
Dryden.

Syn. -- To talk; chatter; gossip; converse.

Chat Chat transitive verb To talk of. [ Obsolete]

Chat Chat noun 1. Light, familiar talk; conversation; gossip.

Snuff, or fan, supply each pause of chat ,
With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that.
Pope.

2. (Zoology) A bird of the genus Icteria , allied to the warblers, in America. The best known species are the yellow-breasted chat ( I. viridis ), and the long-tailed chat ( I. longicauda ). In Europe the name is given to several birds of the family Saxicolidæ , as the stonechat , and whinchat .

Bush chat . (Zoology) See under Bush .

Chat Chat noun 1. A twig, cone, or little branch. See Chit .

2. plural (Mining) Small stones with ore.

Chat potatoes , small potatoes, such as are given to swine. [ Local.]

Chateau Cha`teau" noun ; plural Chateux . [ French château a castle. See Castle .] 1. A castle or a fortress in France.

2. A manor house or residence of the lord of the manor; a gentleman's country seat; also, particularly, a royal residence; as, the chateau of the Louvre; the chateau of the Luxembourg.

» The distinctive, French term for a fortified castle of the middle ages is château-fort .