The origin of this word has been referred by Etymologists to the Swed. kiusa, the old French joucher, and the Dutch kosen, to cozen. Skinner, and Gifford in his notes to Ben Jonson, think the word is of Turkish origin, from chiaous, a messenger of the Turkish emperor. A messenger, or chiaous, from the Grand Senior, in 1609, committed a gross fraud upon the Turkish and Persian merchants resident in England, by cheating them out of £4,000. Hence from the notoriety of the circumstance, to chiaous, chause, or chouse, was to do as this man did, i. e. to cheat, or defraud. This origin of the word seems quite probable; for the name of a notorious defaulter in New York has recently been used in a similar manner.
Dap. And I will tell, then? By this hand of flesh,
Would it might never write good court-hand more,
If I discover. What do you think of me,
That I am a chause?
Fac. What's that? The Turk was here,
As one would say, do you think that I'm a Turk?
Ben Jonson.
Freedom and zeal have chous'd you o'er and o'er;
Pray give us leave to bubble you once more.
Dryden.
For which reason, however they may pretend to chouse one another, they make but very awkward rogues; and their dislike to each other is seldom so well dissembled but it is suspected.
Tattler, No. 213.