chasse

Chasse is a French noun meaning hunting, the pursuit of wild animals for food, sport, or population management. In historical and literary contexts, la chasse denotes organized hunting practices, often associated with nobility and large game, as well as rural hunting traditions practiced by communities.

Etymology traces chasse to Old French chace, meaning chase or pursuit, itself linked to the verb chasser, to chase. The term evokes the act of pursuing game and has long been embedded in legal, social, and cultural frameworks surrounding wildlife.

In traditional French hunting, major forms include la chasse à cour, hunting with hounds and horses that follow the game by scent, and la chasse par force, a driven hunt where beaters drive game toward waiting shooters. In modern usage, la chasse encompasses regulated activities governed by licensing, seasonal calendars, bag limits, and conservation measures implemented by national or regional authorities.

Beyond hunting, the word appears in other domains. In dance, a chassé is a gliding stepping movement used in ballet and various partner dances; in English-language contexts, the term is sometimes written as chasse or chassé. The concept also features in art and literature as a motif representing nobility, mastery of land, and human interaction with wildlife.

Overall, chasse denotes both the activity of pursuing game and its historical and cultural significance in French-speaking regions, while its specialized senses in dance and the arts reflect a broader linguistic footprint.