chase1

 
Pronunciation: /tʃeɪs/

verb

[with object]
  • 1pursue in order to catch or catch up with: police chased the stolen car through the city [no object]: the dog chased after the stick
  • seek to attain: the team are chasing their first home win this season
  • seek the company of (a member of the opposite sex) in an obvious way: he spends all his free time chasing girls
  • 2 [with object and adverbial of direction] drive or cause to go in a specified direction: she chased him out of the house
  • [no object, with adverbial of direction] rush in a specified direction: he chased down the motorway
  • 3try to obtain (something owed or required): the company employs people to chase up debts
  • try to make contact with (someone) in order to obtain something owed or required: the council recently appointed its own team of bailiffs to chase non-payers
  • (chase something up (or US down)) make further investigation of an unresolved matter.

noun

  • an act of pursuing someone or something: they captured the youths after a brief chase
  • short for steeplechase.
  • (the chase) hunting as a sport: she was an ardent follower of the chase
  • [in place names] British an area of unenclosed land formerly reserved for hunting: Cannock Chase
  • archaic a hunted animal.

Phrases

chase the game

(in soccer) adopt attacking tactics, especially when losing, at the risk of being vulnerable to counter-attack: we made the mistake of trying to chase the game instead of playing it tight

chase shadows

pursue illusory targets: I found that the three-day mission did little more than chase shadows

give chase

go in pursuit: a patrol car gave chase and finally overtook him officers gave chase to one of the thieves

go and chase oneself

[in imperative] informal go away.

the thrill of the chase

see thrill.

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French chacier (verb), chace (noun), based on Latin captare 'continue to take', from capere 'take'