ware
ware Lexical Profile
ware Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Articles or goods offered by a merchant or vendor for sale (usually used in the plural 'wares').
"Local artisans gathered in the town square to display their handmade wares to passing tourists."
Manufactured articles of a specified material or for a particular use, such as pottery, glass, metal, or digital programs (often used in combination).
"The museum's new exhibition features finely glazed ceramic ware from the Ming dynasty."
• adjective
Conscious, cautious, or on one's guard against danger (archaic or poetic, used predicatively).
"The travelers remained ware of the treacherous footing along the cliff's edge."
• verb
To be on one's guard against or look out for a hazard (archaic or dialectal, used primarily in the imperative).
"The huntsman called out to the riders to ware the low-hanging branches ahead."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'ware' (manufactured goods, or an archaic word for cautious) with its common homophones 'wear' (to have on the body or erode) and 'where' (in what place). In modern English, the noun is most frequently encountered in compounds such as 'hardware', 'software', and 'tableware', or in the plural 'wares' referring to a vendor's merchandise.
• Rhymes for ware
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The noun derives from Old English 'waru' (articles of merchandise, goods, protection), from Proto-Germanic '*waro'. The adjective and verb derive from Old English 'wær' (cautious, aware) and 'warian' (to guard against, beware), from a shared Proto-Germanic root meaning 'to observe or take heed'.