I. ˈwa(a)](ə)r, ˈwe], ]ə\ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wār; akin to Frisian wier seaweed, Old English wīr wire — more at wire
dialect Britain : seaweed
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English war, ware, from Old English wær — more at wary
1. : aware , cognizant , conscious
was ware of black looks cast at me — Mary Webb
2. archaic : wary , vigilant , heedful
III. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English waren, from Old English warian; akin to Old High German bi warōn to keep, protect, Old Norse vara to be aware; all from a West Germanic-North Germanic verb derived from the adjective represented by Old English wær aware, cautious — more at wary
: to take heed of : beware of : avoid , shun — used chiefly as a command to hunting animals
ware chase
ware rabbit
ware wheat
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English waru; akin to Middle High German ware ware, Old Norse vara and probably to Old English wær aware, cautious, prudent — more at wary
1.
a. : manufactured articles, products of art or craft, or farm produce offered for sale : articles of merchandise : goods , commodities
the peddler unpacked his ware
b. : an item offered for sale : an article of merchandise
a favorite ware is a Bible — Henry Lee
buses, trucks, diesel engines and other heavy wares — Mitchell Gordon
fruit-vendors who exposed their wares of brightest hues on the pavement — Norman Douglas
2. : goods, commodities, manufacturers, or produce of a specific class or kind
coopers' ware
household ware
mahogany ware
— usually used in combination
hard ware
silver ware
tin ware
glass ware
table ware
as
a. Britain : potatoes of marketable size and suitable for table use
b. : fabrics, cloth
c. obsolete : livestock
d. : pottery, dishes, or other items of fired clay
ware which comes from the kiln cracked — Daniel Rhodes
a yellow ware with mottle glaze — American Guide Series: Maryland
3. : an intangible item (as a service or a literary product) that is a marketable commodity
an information officer … is under constant pressure to provide more wares — Herbert Agar
the wares of legitimate show business — American Guide Series: New York City
nothing so quenches the enthusiasm of the teacher as a too-utilitarian view of his wares — Lyle Owen
4. : a group of pottery types classified by archaeologists according to characteristics of temper and hardness, type of paste, or similar surface treatment rather than by shape or decoration
V. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse vār — more at vernal
Scotland : the spring season
VI. transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English waren, from Old Norse verja to clothe, invest, spend — more at wear
Scotland
1. : spend , expend
2. : squander , waste