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chauvinist
information or get something done: *The police have been trying to chase (up) the dead man's sister, but they have no idea where she lives. | Those books I ordered still haven't come – I'll have to chase the manager about them.* **5 chase the dragon** *slang* to take the drug HEROIN especially by heating it and breathing in the smoke
**chase²** *n* **1** [C] an act of chasing someone or something: *There was a long chase before the criminal was caught. | There was an exciting car chase in the film.* **2** [the S] *fml* the sport of hunting especially foxes: *the thrill of the chase* **3** [C] (often cap. as part of a name) an area of land set aside for the breeding of wild animals for hunting and shooting: *Cannock Chase* **4 give chase** rather *fml* to chase something or someone: *The old lady saw the thief running up the street and gave chase on her bicycle.* → see also PAPER CHASE, WILD-GOOSE CHASE
**chase³** *v* [T] *tech* to decorate (metal) by marking it with a tool without a cutting edge: *chased silver*
**Chase, Chev·y** /'tʃevi/ (1943–) a US COMEDIAN famous for appearing on the television show SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in the 1980s and for the NATIONAL LAMPOON films, such as *National Lampoon's Summer Vacation*
**Chase Man,hat·tan 'Bank** trademark a large bank in the US, with its main offices in New York City
**chas·er** /'tʃeɪsə/ *n* a weaker alcoholic drink drunk after a stronger one, or a stronger alcoholic drink drunk after a weaker one: *After drinking a pint of beer he had a whisky as a chaser.*
**chas·m** /'kæzəm/ *n* a very deep crack or opening in the surface of the earth or ice: *(fig.) There was a (deep) political chasm between the two countries which nearly led to war.*
**chas·sis** /'ʃæsi/ *n pl. chassis* /'ʃæsiz/ **1** the frame on which the body and working parts of a vehicle are fastened or built **2** the landing apparatus of a plane
**chaste** /tʃeɪst/ *adj* **1** *apprec* not taking part in sexual activity, especially immoral sexual activity → compare CELIBATE; see also CHASTITY **2** MODEST **3** *pomp* (especially of a style of writing) simple; not too highly decorated —**ly** *adv*
**chas·ten** /'tʃeɪsən/ *v* [T] to make (someone) want to improve their behaviour as a result of punishment or suffering: *He was rather chastened by the accident, which had happened because he was driving too fast. | a chastening experience*
**chas·tise** /tʃæ'staɪz/ *v* [T] *fml* to punish or blame severely, especially by beating —**ment** *n* [C;U]
**chas·ti·ty** /'tʃæstəti/ *n* [U] **1** (especially of young women) the condition of being sexually chaste and of having a very pure and INNOCENT attitude to sex: *Chastity before marriage is still demanded in some societies.* **2** *euph* for VIRGINITY
**'chastity belt** *n* a special belt with a lock worn by some women in former times and intended to prevent them from having sexual relations
**chas·u·ble** /'tʃæzjʊbəl/ *n* a loose-fitting garment without arms, worn by some Christian priests at religious services, especially the Mass
**chat¹** /tʃæt/ *v* **-tt-** [I(ABOUT, AWAY, ON)] *infml* to talk in a friendly informal manner: *She chatted with most of the guests at the party. | The two friends sat in a corner and chatted (away) about the weather/about what they had been doing since they last met.*
**chat sbdy.** ⇔ **up** *phr v* [T] *BrE infml* to talk to (especially someone of the opposite sex) in a friendly way in order to begin a relationship, persuade them to do something etc: *The local boys chat up all the foreign girls in the tourist season. | If you chat him up a bit he might lend it to you.*
**chat²** *n infml* [C;U(ABOUT, with)] **(a)** friendly informal conversation: *I had a chat (about that) with Mary. | There's too much chat in this office!* → see also CHAT SHOW
**chât·eau, chat-** /'ʃætəʊ/ *n pl.* **-teaus** or **-teaux** /'ʃætəʊz/ /'ʃæ'təʊz/ a castle or large country house in France. The châteaus, especially those along the Loire, are especially popular with tourists.
**chat·e·laine** /'ʃætl-eɪn/ *n* **1** the female owner, or wife of the owner, of a large country house or castle **2** (in former times) a set of chains fastened to a woman's belt for carrying keys etc
**'chat·line** /'tʃætlaɪn/ *n* a British telephone service which people call to have a conversation with others who have called the same service. After public concern that some young people call chatlines a lot and leave their parents with very high bills, chatlines were closed down in Britain in 1992.
**'chat room** *n* a place on the Internet where you can write messages to other people and receive messages back from them immediately so that you can have a conversation while you are ONLINE
**'chat show** *BrE* , **talk show** *AmE* — *n* a radio or television show on which well-known people talk to each other and are asked questions. The presenters of chat shows often become extremely famous themselves: *a chat-show host*
**chat·tel** /'tʃætl/ *n law* an article of movable property (especially in the phrase **goods and chattels**): *(fig.) He treats his wife as if she were just a chattel. (=a piece of his property)*
**chat·ter¹** /'tʃætə/ *v* [I] **1** [(ABOUT, AWAY, ON)] (of people) to talk quickly, continuously, and for a long time, usually about something unimportant: *The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. | chattering on about his new car* **2** [(AWAY)] (of certain animals and birds) to make rapid speechlike sounds: *The monkeys were chattering away in the trees.* **3** (of the teeth) to knock together repeatedly, especially through cold or fear: *I was so cold my teeth were chattering.* —**er** *n*
**chatter²** *n* [U] **1** rapid informal unimportant conversation **2** a rapid knocking sound made by teeth, machines etc, or the rapid speechlike sounds made by certain animals and birds: *the chatter of the enemy's guns*
**chat·ter·box** /'tʃætəbɒks||-tərbɑːks/ *n infml* a person who talks a lot, especially about things that are unimportant
**'chattering ,classes** *n* [the P] *BrE* people who are very interested in news and CURRENT AFFAIRS, especially broadcasters and people who write for the newspapers
**Chatterley, Lady** → see LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER
**chat·ty** /'tʃæti/ *adj infml* **1** fond of talking or chatting: *He's a friendly, chatty sort of person.* **2** having the style of informal conversation: *a chatty letter*
**'chat-up ,line** *BrE* || usually **line** *AmE* — *n* something that someone, especially a man, says in order to try to start a relationship with someone they are interested in sexually, especially the first time they meet. Certain chat-up lines are felt to have been used so often that they are now only used jokingly, for example 'Do you come here often?' and 'Haven't we met somewhere before?'
**Chau·cer, Geof·frey** /'tʃɔːsə, 'dʒefri/ (?1340 - 1400) an English writer known for his long poem THE CANTERBURY TALES, one of the most important works in English literature. It is about a group of PILGRIMS travelling to Canterbury, who tell each other stories.
**Geoffrey Chaucer**
**chauf·feur** /'ʃəʊfə, 'ʃəʊ'fɜːr/, **chauf·feuse** /'ʃəʊ'fɜːz/ *fem.* — *n* a person employed to drive a car for someone else **—chauffeur** *v* [I;T(AROUND, ABOUT)] *(fig.) Your mother shouldn't waste her time chauffeuring you around; you'll have to learn to drive yourself!*
**Chau·tau·qua** /ʃə'tɔːkwə, tʃə-/ a place in the US state of New York where many people go to enjoy special arts events during the summer, including musical performances and plays
**chau·vin·is·m** /'ʃəʊvɪnɪzəm/ *n* [U] **1** very great and often unthinking admiration for your country; proud and unreasonable belief that your country is politically, morally, and militarily, better than all others **2** unreasonable belief that the sex to which you belong is better than the other sex: *When she tried to become an engineer, she came up against (=was faced by) a lot of male chauvinism.*
**chau·vin·ist** /'ʃəʊvɪnɪst/ *n, adj* (a person or organization) feeling, showing, or based on chauvinism: *a chauvinist foreign policy | Her husband's such a chauvinist that he tries to tell her how to vote.* → see also MALE CHAUVINIST —**ic** /ˌʃəʊvɪ'nɪstɪk/ *adj* —**ically** /kli/ *adv*