Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CHASE, n.

1. Vehement pursuit; a running or driving after; as game, in hunting; a flying enemy, in war; a ship at sea, &c.
2. Pursuit with an ardent desire to obtain, as pleasure, profit, fame, &c.; earnest seeking.
3. That which may be chased; that which is usually taken by the chase; as, beasts of chase.
4. That which is pursued or hunted; as, seek some other chase. So at sea, a ship chased is called the chase.
5. In law, a driving of cattle to or from a place.
6. An open ground, or place of retreat for deer and other wild beasts; differing from a forest, which is not private property and is invested with privileges, and from a park which is inclosed. A chase is private property, and well stored with wild beasts or game.
7. [Fr. chasse; Sp. caxa; It. cassa. See Case and Cash.] An iron frame used by printers to confine types, when set in columns.
8. Chase of a gun, is the whole length of the bore.
9. A term in the game of tennis. Chase guns, in a ship of war, guns used in chasing an enemy or in defending a ship when chased. These have their ports at the head or stern. A gun at the head is called a bow-chase; at the stern, a stern-chase.