different between choice vs medley

English

Alternative forms

• choise, choyse (both obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English chois, from Old French chois (“choice”), from choisir (“to choose, perceive”), possibly via assumed Vulgar Latin *caus?re (“to choose”), from Gothic ???????????????????????????? (kausjan, “to make a choice, taste, test, choose”), from Proto-Germanic *kauzijan?, from *keusan? (“to choose”), from Proto-Indo-European *?ews- (“to choose”). Akin to Old High German kiosan (“to choose”), Old English ??osan (“to choose”), Old Norse kjósa (“to choose”). More at choose.

The adjectival meaning of "especially good, preferred, select" was likely influenced by Middle English chyse, chys, chis (“choice, excellent”), from Old English ??s, *??es (“choice; dainty; nice”), related to Old English ??osan (“to choose”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t???s/
• Rhymes: -??s

Noun

choice (countable and uncountable, plural choices)

1. An option; a decision; an opportunity to choose or select something.

   Do I have a choice of what color to paint it?

2. (uncountable) The power to choose.

   She didn't leave us much choice.
3. One selection or preference; that which is chosen or decided; the outcome of a decision.

   The ice cream sundae is a popular choice for dessert.

4. Anything that can be chosen.

5. (usually with the) The best or most preferable part.
6. (obsolete) Care and judgement in selecting; discrimination, selectiveness.
   • 1625, Francis Bacon, Apophthegms

     I imagine they [the apothegms of Caesar] were collected with judgment and choice.

   • 1757, Edmund Burke, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, London: R. & J. Dodsley, Part I, Section I, p. 1,^[2]

     We see children perpetually running from place to place to hunt out something new; they catch with great eagerness, and with very little choice, at whatever comes before them; their attention is engaged by every thing, because every thing has, in that stage of life, the charm of novelty to recommend it.

7. (obsolete) A sufficient number to choose among.

Synonyms

• (selection or preference): option, possibility; see also Thesaurus:option
• (anything that can be chosen): assortment, range, selection
• (definite: best or most preferable part): the cream
• (sufficient number to choose among): abundance, profusion; see also Thesaurus:cornucopia

Derived terms

• choicy
• Hercules' choice
• Hobson's choice
• Sophie's choice

Related terms

• choose
• choosey
• chosen

Translations

Adjective

choice (comparative choicer or more choice, superlative choicest or most choice)

1. Especially good or preferred.

   It's a choice location, but you will pay more to live there.
2. (obsolete) Careful in choosing; discriminating.
   • 1856, J. R. Planché (tr.), Fairy Tales by the Countess d'Aulnoy, The Princess Carpillon:

     Thus musing, he ate nothing; the Queen, believing that it was in consequence of his having been unkindly received, loaded him with caresses; she herself handed him some exquisite fruits, of which she was very choice.

Synonyms

• (especially good or preferred): prime, prize, quality, select, choicy

Translations

Interjection

choice

1. (slang, New Zealand) Cool; excellent.

   "I'm going to the movies." —"Choice!"

See also

• choicy

References

• choice at OneLook Dictionary Search
• choice in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• echoic

English

Etymology

From Middle English medle, from Anglo-Norman medlee, Old French medlee, from Late Latin misculata, feminine past participle of Vulgar Latin *miscul? (“to mix”). Compare meddle. Doublet of melee.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?m?dli/

Noun

medley (plural medleys)

1. (now rare, archaic) Combat, fighting; a battle. [from 14^thc.]
   • 1632, Xenophon, Philemon Holland (translator), Cyrupaedia

     For greater shields they have, than that they can either doe or see ought, and being raunged by hundreds no doubt they will hinder one another in the medley, except some very few

2. A collection or mixture of miscellaneous things. [from 17^thc.]

   a fruit medley

   • this medley of philosophy and war

   • 1692, William Walsh, Letters and Poems, Amorous and Gallant

     Love is a medley of endearments, jars, / Suspicions, reconcilements, wars.

3. (music) A collection of related songs played or mixed together as a single piece. [from 17^thc.]

   They played a medley of favorite folk songs as an encore.

4. (swimming) A competitive swimming event that combines the four strokes of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. [from 20th c.]
5. A cloth of mixed colours.
   • 1631, Thomas Fuller, Comment on Ruth , Chapter 1, verses 9, 10, 11

     Otherwise , as our Saviour noteth , when the old Cloth was joyned to the new , it made no good medley , but the Rent was made the wors

Synonyms

• mashup

Related terms

• meddle
• melee

Translations

Verb

medley (third-person singular simple present medleys, present participle medleying, simple past and past participle medleyed)

1. (music) To combine, to form a medley.

Anagrams

• yelmed

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from English medley.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m?dli/, [?m?d?li]

Noun

medley n (singular definite medleyet, plural indefinite medleyer)

1. medley (of songs; swimming event)

Inflection

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English medley.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: med?ley

Noun

medley m (plural medleys, diminutive medleytje n)

1. several songs strung together.

Synonyms

• potpourri

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English medley. Doublet of mezclada.

Noun

medley m (plural medleys)

1. medley (songs)

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English medley.

Noun

medley n

1. medley (songs)