Chasers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals or groups that actively pursue something enticing or valuable in different circumstances
2. Entities or persons engaged in the pursuit of objectives or targets that capture their interest
3. Those who run after or pursue someone or something ; beverages consumed to lessen the taste or effect of a preceding alcoholic drink

Etymology: The plural "chasers" simply adds "-s" to "chaser," which reaches English from Middle English "chaser," "chacer," or "chasour," borrowed from Old French "chaceür" or "chaceor." Those forms descend from the Old French verb "chacier," meaning "to chase" or "to hunt," so the noun began as a name for someone who pursued game or an enemy. Its path into English ran through French, and it has a close relative in "chasseur," a doublet that entered English separately from the same Old French source. That shared ancestry is why the two words look so different yet describe the same action of pursuit. Later senses of "chaser" developed under the influence of the English verb "chase," which meant "to pursue," and the ending "-er" marks a person or thing that performs the action. The modern meaning, one that pursues goals or targets, grows naturally out of that original sense of pursuit, which is why the plural refers to any group driven by an aim.

Synonyms: pursuers, followers, hunters, seekers, trackers