Chondrus

( Bot. ) A gen. of plants, ord. Ceramiacea. The most important species is C. crisp us, commonly called Carrageen or Irish mo , which is used medicinally for its nutritive, emollient, and demulcent properties, being administered in the form of a decoction or jelly. Cho'nos Archipelago, a group of barren islands lying off the W. coast of Patagonia: Lat. between 44° and 46° S., Lon. between 74° and 75. Chon'tales, a district of Nicaragua, N.E. of the lakes Nicaragua and Managua, separated from Honduras by the district of Segovra. Choose, ( chöz ,) ( pret . CHOSE, pp . CHOSEN,) v. a. [A. S. ceosen; Ger. kiesen; O. Ger. kiusan ; Icel. kivsa ; Goth. kins an ; Swed. and Goth. kesa ; all signifying to test, to prove, and by consequence, to select; Sansk. gus , to try, to taste.] To take one thing in preference to another, or others; to prefer; to select; to elect to adopt. "Choose an author as you choose a friend."- Roscommon. -v. i. To prefer; to make a choice or selection. "The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest." - Milton . -To po e the power of choice; to exercise the opportunity of selection. "For all her haste, she could not choose but stay." - Dryden. Choos'er, n. One who chooses, or has the power of election. "Each one may here a chooser be." - Drayton. Choos'ingly, adv . By choice; in the way of choice. Chop, v. a. [Ger. and Du. kuppen ; L. Lat. coppare , from Gr. kop to , to strike, second aorist kopein , from root kep .] To cut into small pieces; to mince; - usually preceding up; as, to chop up meat. -To cut off or separate by striking or leaving; to divide, (generally with off.) "Within these three days his head is to be chopt off ." - Shaks. -To devour or eat greedily; with up . "You are for chopping up your entertainment like an hungry clown." - Dryden. -To open or break into chinks; to chap off. - See CHAP. -v. i. To do anything with a quick and sudden movement; to strike unexpectedly. "He chops at the shadow, and loses the substance." - L'Estrange. -To break up another person's conversation or discourse; to intervene without ceremony. (Naut.) To turn, vary, or shift suddenly; as, a chop ping wind.