Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An official Turkish messenger, emissary, or sergeant.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun See chouse.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A Turkish messenger.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Turkish çāvuş, from Old Turkic chāv, announcement.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Turkish çavuş.

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Examples

  • The peculations of a certain "chiaus" in the year A.D. 1000 are said to have been the origin of the word "to chouse."] [96] {114} A phenomenon not uncommon with an angry Mussulman.

    The Works of Lord Byron. Vol. 3 George Gordon Byron Byron 1806

  • Finding our general but a simple man, the governor put him into a house with a _chiaus, _ or keeper, and a strong guard of janissaries, and kept him and his attendants prisoners for six weeks, I being of the number.

    A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 08 Robert Kerr 1784

  • Our chiaus had a warrant from the pacha to take up asses for our men, and accordingly did so at this place over night; but next morning the Arabians lay in ambush in the way, and took back their asses, neither of our chiauses daring to give them one uncivil word.

    A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 08 Robert Kerr 1784

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