chou

plural chous · plural choux

1. bakingChoux pastry, usually in the form of a small round cake with a sweet filling.
2. fashionA bunch, knot, or rosette of ribbon or other material, used as an ornament in women's clothing.

   Medium sized chous, or rosettes of the ribbon finish the trimming at bottom of chest opening, and at the waist points back and front.

   1891, Locomotive Engineers Journal, volume 25, page 1146

alternative Hanyu Pinyin Zhou · alternative Chow

1. A common Chinese surname

   1 more example

   During the more than fifteen hours of formal talks I had with Chou we covered a wide range of issues and ideas. Since all our discussions during this trip were so frank, it was understandable that the Chinese were nervous about the possibility of leaks. I am sure that Chou had no trouble imagining the propaganda use the Kremlin would have for the transcripts of our talks.

   1978, Richard Nixon, “The Presidency 1969–1972”, in RN: the Memoirs of Richard Nixon, Grosset & Dunlap, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 573

2. datedDated form of Zhou (“dynasty, realm and era”).

   In the Shang and Chou periods our knowledge from archaeology of ordinary dwellings is thus far poor, but something can be said of the more pretentious edifices.

   1971, William Waston, Cultural Frontiers in Ancient East Asia, Edinburgh University Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 81

   5 more examples

   Chou: at first a principality in South Shen Si and part of Kan Suh, subject to Shang dynasty; afterwards the imperial dynasty itself. Ts‘in: principality west of the above. When the Chou dynasty moved its capital east into Ho Nan, Ts‘in took possession of the old Chou principality. Tsin: principality (same family as Chou) in South Shan Si (and in part of Shen Si at times).

   1908, Edward Harper Parker, Ancient China Simplified, London: Chapman & Hall, Ltd., →OCLC, page xi

   Considering the skill displayed in the drilling and decoration of many jades assigned to the Chou Dynasty, it would appear that the plain Huang Ts’ung originated at a much earlier date (Plate ix).

   1962, Stanley Charles Nott, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Charles E. Tuttle Company, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 15

   A group of bronzes of the late Western Chou were uncovered in Chingshan County, Hupeh Province, and 25 pieces of stone ching (musical chimes) with a painted design of the State of Chu were found in Chiangling County of the same province.

   1971, “Historical Relic Unearthed During the Cultural Revolution”, in Eastern Horizon, volume X, number 5, Hong Kong: Eastern Horizon Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 26, column 2

   The genesis of the Chinese bronze mirror can be traced far back into the Chou dynasty. Some pieces that may possibly date from the eighth century b.c., but certainly predate the year 655 b.c., were unearthed in 1956–1957 at Shang-ts’ung-ling near San-men-hsia in western Honan Province.

   1980, Helmut Brinker, Eberhard Fischer, Treasures from the Rietberg Museum, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 91

   Eventually, the ramshackle Chou government fell apart. In 771BC the barbarian Jung tribes sacked the Chou capital at Hao, and forced the court to flee eastwards down the Yellow River to Lo-yang. Most of the king's vassals failed to support him in this crisis. This is the context for the famous story about the foolish emperor who called out his nobles with their troops for a joke, to amuse his concubine, so that when a real invasion occurred they no longer took any notice. Whatever the truth of this, the Chou ruler could no longer rely on his over-mighty subjects.

   1998, Chris Peers, Warlords of China: 700BC to AD1662, Arms and Armour Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 19