Online Etymology Dictionary

chorister (n.): "member of a choir," mid-14c., queristre, from Anglo-French cueriste, French choriste, from Church Latin chorista, from Latin chorus (see chorus) + -ster. Modern form is from late 16c.
chorizo (n.): "spiced pork sausage," 1846, from Spanish chorizo.
chork (v.): mid-15c., now Scottish, "to make the noise which the feet do when the shoes are full of water" [Jamieson]. Related: Chorked; chorking.
choroid (adj.): 1680s, from Latinized form of Greek khoroeides, a corruption of khorioeides, from khorion (see chorion) + eidos "resemblance" (see -oid).
chortle (v.): coined 1872 by Lewis Carroll in "Through the Looking Glass," perhaps from chuckle and snort. Related: Chortled; chortling. As a noun, from 1903.
chorus (n.): 1560s, from Latin chorus "a dance in a circle, the persons singing and dancing, the chorus of a tragedy," from Greek khoros "band of dancers or singers, dance, dancing ground," perhaps from PIE *gher- "to grasp, enclose," if the original sense of the Greek word is "enclosed dancing floor." Extension from dance to voice is because Attic drama arose from tales inserted in the intervals of the dance. In Attic tragedy, the khoros (of 12 or 15 (tragic) or 24 (comedic) persons) gave expression, between the acts, to the moral and religious sentiments evoked by the actions of the play.
When a Poet wished to bring out a piece, he asked a Chorus from the Archon, and the expenses, being great, were defrayed by some rich citizen (the khoregos): it was furnished by the Tribe and trained originally by the Poet himself [Liddell & Scott]
Originally in English used in theatrical sense; meaning of "a choir" first attested 1650s. Meaning "the refrain of a song" (which the audience joins in singing) is 1590s. As a verb, 1703, from the noun. Chorus girl is 1894.
chose: past tense of choose (q.v.).
chosen (n.): "the elect, the select," especially those selected by God, c. 1200, from past participle of choose (v.). Chosen people for "the Jews" is recorded from 1530s.
chou (n.): "fashionable knot in a woman's dress or hat," 1883; earlier "small, round, cream-filled pastry" (1706), from French chou, literally "cabbage" (12c.), from Latin caulis "cabbage," literally "stalk" (see cole).
chouse (n.): "swindler, swindle," 1650s, said to be from Turkish chaush "sergeant, herald, messenger," but the sense connection is obscure.
chow (n.): "food," 1856, American English (originally in California), from Chinese pidgin English chow-chow (1795) "food," reduplication of Chinese cha or tsa "mixed." The dog breed of the same name is from 1886, of unknown origin, but some suggest a link to the Chinese tendency to see dogs as edible.
chow mein (n.): 1903, American English, from Chinese ch'ao mien "fried flour."
chowder (n.): 1751, American English, apparently named for the pot it was cooked in: French chaudière "a pot" (12c.), from Late Latin caldaria (see caldron). The word and the practice introduced in Newfoundland by Breton fishermen, and spreading thence to New England.
CHOWDER. A favorite dish in New England, made of fish, pork, onions, and biscuit stewed together. Cider and champagne are sometimes added. Pic-nic parties to the sea-shore generally have a dish of chowder, prepared by themselves in some grove near the beach, from fish caught at the same time. [John Russell Bartlett, "Dictionary of Americanisms," 1859]
The derogatory chowderhead (1819) is a corruption of cholter-head (16c.), from jolthead, which is of unknown origin.
chrestomathy (n.): "collection of literary passages," 1774, from French chrestomathie, from Latinized form of Greek khrestomatheia "desire of learning; book containing selected passages," lit. "useful learning," from khrestos "useful" (verbal adjective of khresthai "to make use of;" see hortatory) + manthanein "to learn" (see mathematic). Related: Chrestomathic.
Chris: pet or familiar form of masc. proper name Christopher or fem. proper name Christine, Christina, etc.
chrism (n.): "oil mingled with balm," Old English chrisma, from Church Latin chrisma, from Greek khrisma "an unguent, anointing, unction," from khriein "to anoint," from PIE root *ghrei- "to rub" (source also of Lithuanian griejù "to skim the cream off"). Chrisom "baptismal robe," is a c. 1200 variant of this. Related: Chrismal; chrismatory.
Christ (n.): title given to Jesus of Nazareth, Old English crist (by 830, perhaps 675), from Latin Christus, from Greek khristos "the anointed" (translation of Hebrew mashiah; see messiah), noun use of verbal adjective of khriein "to rub, anoint" (see chrism). The Latin term drove out Old English Hæland "healer, savior," as the preferred descriptive term for Jesus.

A title, treated as a proper name in Old English, but not regularly capitalized until 17c. Pronunciation with long -i- is result of Irish missionary work in England, 7c.-8c. The ch- form, regular since c. 1500 in English, was rare before. Capitalization of the word begins 14c. but is not fixed until 17c. The 17c. mystical sect of the Familists edged it toward a verb with Christed "made one with Christ."
Christ-like (adj.): 1670s, from Christ + like (adj.). Old English had cristlic, but the modern word appears to be a more recent formation.
Christabel: fem. proper name, probably a combination of Christ + Belle.
christen (v.): c. 1200, from Old English cristnian "to baptize," literally "to make Christian," from cristen "Christian" (see Christian). General meaning of "to name" is attested from mid-15c. Related: Christened; christening.
Christendom (n.): Old English cristendom "Christianity, state of being a Christian," from cristen (see Christian) + -dom, suffix of condition or quality. The native formation, crowded out by Latinate Christianity except for sense "lands where Christianity is the dominant religion" (late 14c.). Similar formations in Scandinavian languages.
Christening (n.): "act or ceremony of baptizing," c. 1300, verbal noun from christen (v.). Old English had cristnung.
Christer (n.): "overly-zealous Christian," 1910, originally sailors' slang, from Christ + -er (1).
Christian (n., adj.): 16c., forms replacing earlier Christen, from Old English cristen (noun and adjective), from a West Germanic borrowing of Church Latin christianus, from Ecclesiastical Greek christianos, from Christos (see Christ). First used in Antioch, according to Acts xi:25-26. Christian Science as the name of a religious sect is from 1863.
Christianism (n.): 1560s, "Christianity," from Christian + -ism. From c.2004 in reference to politicized fundamentalist Christianity in the U.S. Related: Christianist.
Christianity (n.): c. 1300, cristente, "Christians as a whole; state of being a Christian," from Old French crestienté "Christendom; spiritual authority; baptism" (Modern French chrétienté), from Church Latin christianitatem (nominative christianitas), noun of state from christianus (see Christian). Gradually respelled to conform with Latin. Christendom is the older word for it. Old English also had cristennes.
christianize (v.): 1590s, from Christian + -ize. Originally intransitive as well as transitive. Related: Christianized; christianizing; christianization.
Christina: see Cristina.
Christless (adj.): 1650s, from Christ + -less.
Christmas (n.): late Old English Cristes mæsse, from Christ (and retaining the original vowel sound) + mass (n.2).

Written as one word from mid-14c. As a verb from 1590s. Father Christmas first attested in a carol attributed to Richard Smart, Rector of Plymtree (Devon) from 1435-77. Christmas tree in modern sense first attested 1835 in American English, from German Weihnachtsbaum. Christmas cards first designed 1843, popular by 1860s. Christmas Eve is Middle English Cristenmesse Even (c. 1300).
Christmassy (adj.): 1852, from Christmas + -y (2).
Christmastide (n.): 1620s, from Christmas + tide (n.).
Christology (n.): 1670s, from Christ + connective -o- + -logy.
Christopher: masc. proper name, Church Latin Christophoros, from Ecclesiastical Greek khristophoros, literally "Christ-bearing;" from phoros "bearer," from pherein "to carry" (see infer). In medieval legend he was a giant (one of the rare virtuous ones) who aided travellers by carrying them across a river. Medallions with his image worn by travellers are known from the Middle Ages (Chaucer's Yeoman had one). Not a common name in medieval England.
Christy Minstrels: a blackface troupe originated c. 1843 by Edwin P. Christy in Buffalo, N.Y.; one of the first (along with Dan Emmett) to expand blackface from a solo act to a full minstrel show and bring it into the mainstream of American entertainment.
chroma (n.): "quality or intensity of color," 1889, from Latinized form of Greek khroma "surface of the body, skin, color of the skin," also used generically for "color" and, in plural, "ornaments, embellishments," related to khros "surface of the body, skin," khrozein "to touch the surface of the body, to tinge, to color;" the root is explained as being somehow from PIE *ghreu- "to rub, grind" (see grit (n.)).
chromatic (adj.): 1590s (of music), "progressing by half-tones;" 1829 as "pertaining to color," from Latin chromaticus, from Greek khromatikos "relating to color, suited for color," from khroma (genitive khromatos) "color, complexion, character" (but chiefly used metaphorically of embellishments in music), originally "skin, surface" (see chroma). The reason the Greeks used this word in music is not now entirely clear.
chromatin (n.): protoplasm in cell nuclei, 1882, from German, coined 1879 by German anatomist Walther Flemming (1843-1905), from Latinized form of Greek khromat-, the correct combinational form of khroma "color" (see chroma) + chemical suffix -in (2). Related: Chromatid. Compare chromosome.
chromato-: before vowels chromat-, word forming element indicating "color; chromatin," from Latinized form of Greek khromato-, from khroma (see chroma).
chromatography (n.): 1731, from chromato-, Latinized comb. form of Greek khroma (genitive khromatos) "color" (see chroma), denoting "color" or "chromatin" + -graphy. Related: Chromatograph.
chromatophore (n.): "pigment cell," 1864, from chromato- + Greek -phoros "bearing, bearer," from pherein "to carry" (see infer).
chrome (n.): 1800, "chromium," from French chrome, the name proposed by Fourcroy and Haüy for a new element, from Greek khroma "color" (see chroma); so called because it makes colorful compounds. The name was given to the metallic element now known as chromium (which had been isolated 1798 by French chemist Nicolas-Louis Vauquelin); it continued in commercial use in English for "chrome steel" (steel with 2 percent or so chrome) after the chemical name was changed internationally. As a short form of chromium plating it dates from 1937. Related: Chromic.
chromium (n.): metallic element, 1807, Latinized from French chrome (Fourcroy and Haüy), from Greek chroma "color" (see chrome; also see chroma). So called for its colorful compounds. Related: Chromite.
chromosome (n.): 1889, from German Chromosom, coined 1888 by German anatomist Wilhelm von Waldeyer-Hartz (1836-1921), from Latinized form of Greek khroma "color" (see chroma) + -some (3)). So called because the structures contain a substance that stains readily with basic dyes.
chromosphere (n.): 1868, coined by English astronomer Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer (1836-1920), from chromo-, from Greek khroma "color" (see chroma) + sphere. So called for its redness.
chronic (adj.): early 15c., of diseases, "lasting a long time," from Middle French chronique, from Latin chronicus, from Greek khronikos "of time, concerning time," from khronos "time" (see chrono-). Vague disapproving sense (from 17c.) is from association with diseases and later addictions.
chronicle (n.): c. 1300, cronicle, from Anglo-French cronicle, from Old French cronique "chronicle" (Modern French chronique), from Latin chronica (neuter plural mistaken for fem. singular), from Greek ta khronika (biblia) "the (books of) annals, chronology," neuter plural of khronikos "of time, concerning time," from khronos "time" (see chrono-). Ending modified in Anglo-French, perhaps by influence of article. Old English had cranic "chronicle," cranicwritere "chronicler." The classical -h- was restored in English from 16c.
chronicle (v.): c. 1400, croniclen, from chronicle (n.). Related: Chronicled; chronicling.
chronicler (n.): early 15c., agent noun from chronicle (v.).
chrono-: before vowels chron-, word-forming element meaning "time," from Latinized form of Greek khrono-, comb. form of khronos "time, a defined time, a lifetime, a season, a while," which is of uncertain origin.