What does chousing mean?
"Chousing" is the present participle and gerund of the verb "chouse," meaning to cheat, swindle, or defraud someone through trickery or deceit. A person guilty of chousing has deliberately manipulated a victim — often out of money, property, or some entitlement — using cunning rather than force. The word typically appears in the pattern "chouse someone out of something," as in chousing investors out of their savings. Though it once circulated widely in English, "chouse" is now somewhat archaic, surfacing mostly in literary or historical contexts alongside near-synonyms like "cozen," "bilk," and "fleece." Its connotation is unambiguously negative, denoting calculated dishonesty rather than simple sharp dealing. The word's resemblance to "choosing" makes it a striking example of how a single letter can separate an innocent act from a criminal one, and it remains useful to writers seeking a vivid, slightly old-fashioned term for fraud.
verb (present participle and gerund of 'chouse')Chousing is the act of cheating or swindling someone out of something by trickery or deceit.
- To cheat or swindle someone out of money, property, or rights by trickery or fraud.
"The con artist spent years chousing gullible investors out of their savings."
"He was accused of chousing elderly clients out of their life savings through bogus investment schemes."
"The merchant was notorious for chousing travelers who passed through the market town."
Swap one letter in 'choosing' for an 'a' and you go from picking your favorite to picking someone's pocket.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chousing
"Chouse" entered English in the early 17th century, first appearing in writers such as Ben Jonson, though its ultimate origin remains uncertain. One commonly cited theory links it to the Turkish word "çavuş" (a messenger or sergeant), supposedly introduced to England via travelers' tales about being cheated by such officials in the Ottoman Empire, but this derivation is disputed. Whatever its source, the verb settled into standard English by the 1600s as a synonym for cheating and cozening, spawning the agent noun "chouser."
Related word forms
How chousing is actually used
"Chouse" and its forms are somewhat archaic or literary today, more likely to appear in historical fiction or older texts than everyday conversation. It carries a strongly negative connotation, implying deliberate, crafty dishonesty rather than mere unfairness. The construction "chouse someone out of something" is the standard pattern.
Easily confused with chousing
'Choosing' means selecting from options, while 'chousing' means swindling or cheating someone — they differ by a single letter but are unrelated in meaning.