dial. and U.S. [Phonetic variant of char, CHARE sb.1]
1. ‘A small piece of domestic work, a little job, a char’ (Bartlett, Dict. Amer.); see CHARE sb.1 5.
1820. J. Flint, Lett. Amer., xxi. 263–4. These I must call Americanisms…. Chores … little, odd, detached, or miscellaneous pieces of business.
1838. Emerson, Lit. Ethics, Wks. (Bohn), II. 214. Let us live in corners, and do chores. Ibid. (1841–4), Ess. Art, I. 152. They despatch the day’s weary chores.
1865. Mrs. Whitney, Gayworthys, 120. After sundown, when the chores were through.
1881. Francis Endicott, in Scribner’s Mag., March, 704/2. The young brave of some twelve summers whom we engaged … to procure and cut up bait and do other like chores.
1746. Exmoor Scolding, Gloss., Chuer, a chare, a Jobb of work.
1881. I. of Wight Gloss., Chur.
1882. W. Worcestersh. Gloss., ‘When thee’st done up all the chores, thee canst go out of thee’s a mind.’
1883. Hampsh. Gloss., Choor.
1886. Barnes, Dorset Gloss., Choor.
1888. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., Chore, a job; a piece of business, or work. Hence chore-woman, chore-work.
2. Comb. as chore-girl, -man, -woman, -work.
18[?]. Whittier, Poems, Telling the Bees, x. Went drearily singing the chore-girl small, Draping each hive with a shred of black.
1874. Mrs. Whitney, We Girls, vi. 134. William, the chore-man, had killed them on Saturday.
Hence Chore v. intr., to do ‘chores.’
1874. Mrs. Whitney, We Girls, vi. 127. The man … who ‘chored’ for us.
1885. W. M. Thayer, Gen. Grant, v. (1887), 63. Farming, choring … was preferable to tanning leather.
1746. Exmoor Scolding, l. 208. Tha wut net break the Cantlebone … wi’ chuering.
1883. Hampsh. Gloss., Choor, char, to do household work in the absence of a domestic servant.
1888. Elworthy, W. Somerset Gloss., Chore, chory. Hence chorer, choring.
Chore, obs. f. CHOREE, CORE.
