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who accompanies or is in company with another for a longer or shorter period, either from choice or casually; one who is much in the company of, or is associated with, another or others; an associate; a comrade; a consort; a partner. The companions of his fall. Milton. The companion of fools shall smart for it. Prov. x…

or of attention and examonation; matured opinion; a reflection; as, considerations on the choice of a profession.

The act of choosing; selection; choice. [Obs.] The first election and coöptation of a friend. Howell.

The best or choicest part of a thing; the quintessence; as. the cream of a jest or story; the cream of a collection of books or pictures. Welcome, O flower and cream of knights errant. Shelton. Bavarian cream, a preparation of gelatin, cream, sugar, and eggs, whipped; -- to be eaten cold. -- Cold cream, an ointment ma…

the whole creation groaneth. Rom. viii. 22. A dagger of the mind, a false creation. Shak. Choice pictures and creations of curious art. Beaconsfield.

That which is chosen as the flower or choicest part; careful culling or selection. [R.] The laws of Normandy are, in a great measure, the defloration of the English laws. Sir M. Hale.

To take away the prime beauty and grace of; to rob of the choicest ornament. He died innocent and before the sweetness of his soul was defloured and ravished from him. Jer. Taylor.

Weighing facts and arguments with a view a choice or decision; carefully considering the probable consequences of a step; circumspect; slow in determining; -- applied to persons; as, a deliberate judge or counselor. "These deliberate fools." Shak.

The act of deliberating, or of weighing and examining the reasons for and against a choice or measure; careful consideration; mature reflection. Choosing the fairest way with a calm deliberation. W. Montagu.

leness to the senses; delightfulness; as, delicacy of flavor, of odor, and the like. What choice to choose for delicacy best. Milton.

A choice dainty; a delicacy. [R.] With abstinence all delicates he sees. Dryden.

Choice of words for the expression of ideas; the construction, disposition, and application of words in discourse, with regard to clearness, accuracy, variety, etc.; mode of expression; language; as, the diction of Chaucer's poems. His diction blazes up into a sudden explosion of prophetic grandeur. De Quincey.…

Choice; preference. [Obs.] That now be chooseth with vile difference To be a beast, and lack intelligence. Spenser.

Love; choice. [Obs.] T. Martin.

t to determine what course to pursue; a vexatious alternative or predicament; a difficult choice or position. A strong dilemma in a desperate case! To act with infamy, or quit the place. Swift. Horns of a dilemma, alternatives, each of which is equally difficult of encountering.

Freedom to act according to one's own judgment; unrestrained exercise of choice or will. At discretion, without conditions or stipulations.

ulty of nicely distinguishing; acute discernment; as, to show great discrimination in the choice of means.

into districts or limited portions of territory; as, legislatures district States for the choice of representatives.

The act of choosing; choice; selection.

Exerting the power of choice; selecting; as, an elective act.