Chore Is the American Cousin of a British Word
A chore is a routine domestic task. The word is a variant of the older char, which survives in the British charwoman.
A chore is a routine domestic task, and by extension anything tedious. The word is an American respelling of the older English *char*, meaning a turn of work — the same word behind *charwoman*, the cleaner who came in by the day. *Chore* crossed back to Britain in the twentieth century, so both forms are now in use for different things. Two everyday words hide the same root: *charlady* and *chore*.
- A routine task. *The evening chores.*
- Something tedious. *Paperwork is a chore.*
- Char — the older form. *A day's char.*
- Charwoman — a cleaner, dated British. *The charwoman came.*
- Errand — a related word for a short task. *Running errands.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | chore | A daily chore. |
| Plural | chores | Household chores. |
| Older form | char | A turn of work. |
| Compound | charwoman | A charwoman. |
| Adjective | chore-like | Chore-like tasks. |
- The children share the chores.Household.
- Filling in the form was a chore.Figurative.
- Charwoman comes from the same root.Etymology.
Words for small tasks
- Chore — routine, domestic, recurring
- Errand — a short trip made for someone
- Task — neutral, any assigned piece of work
- Duty — carries obligation
- Drudgery — the strongest word for dull, hard work
A variant of *char*, from Old English *cerr*, a turn or a piece of work, from *cierran*, to turn. The spelling *chore* is American, recorded from the 1740s.
What is a charwoman?
A dated British term for a woman employed by the day to clean. The word shares its root with chore.
Is chore American?
The spelling is. The word is now standard in Britain too, alongside the older char.