† aˈchesoun Obs.
[a. OFr. acheson, acheison, achaison, -un occasion, cause, motive:—L. occāsiōn-em occasion, n. of action f. occās- ppl. stem of occid-ĕre, f. oc- = ob- in the way of + cad-ĕre to fall. Very early refashioned in Anglo-Fr. as anchesoun, enchesoun, by form-assoc. with words in which a- stood for earlier en-, an-: see a- prefix 10, so that enchesoun, encheason, became a far more common form in Eng. Also as early as 3 aphetized to chesoun.]
Occasion, reason, purpose, motive.
| c 1330 Arthour & Merlin 132 And all he it dede for traisoun, King to be was his achesoun. |
| c 1230 Ancren Riwle 232 Six ancheisuns beoð hwi God..wiðdrauhð him. 1297 R. Glouc. 452 Wan ich am enchesun of such pereyl. a 1400 Metr. Hom. 38 Bot chesoun till him fand scho nan. |