ware

1 of 4

noun

1
a
: manufactured articles, products of art or craft, or farm produce : goods
often used in combination
tinware
b
: an article of merchandise
2
: articles (such as pottery or dishes) of fired clay
earthenware
3
: an intangible item (such as a service or ability) that is a marketable commodity

ware

2 of 4

adjective

1
: aware, conscious
was ware of black looks cast at meMary Webb
2
archaic : wary, vigilant

ware

3 of 4

verb (1)

wared; waring

transitive verb

: to beware of : avoid
used chiefly as a command to hunting animals

ware

4 of 4

verb (2)

wared; waring

Examples of ware in a Sentence

Noun She sold her wares at the market. Adjective he's ware of the dangers that await him in the Antarctic
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Like Kim, many are Korean immigrants who spend seven days a week peddling their wares to a mostly Black clientele. Ashley Ahn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Seventeen local merchants, including painters, jewelry makers, and more, sell their wares here. Trudy Haywood Saunders, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2024 There's the Goddess Marketplace — a space for women entrepreneurs to sell their wares, from food and clothing to jewelry and candles. Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024 Flames ripped through about a dozen businesses that had subleased a slice of property under the 10 Freeway, including a mechanic, a pallet distributor, a garment supplier, a recycler and others whose wares helped fuel the fire. Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024 To wit: The ’60s had stars such as Steve McQueen and Robert Mitchum strutting down the streets of Tinseltown wearing Wrangler’s wares. Ashley W. Simpson, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2024 Serving ware Many of us need a fresh set of cutlery because most of our spoons have danced around in the garbage disposal. Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024 As a result, by and large, the browser makers have had to combine generative AI into their wares. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 In the early twentieth century, dealers mainly sold their wares to film studios and zoos. Rebecca Giggs, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
Verb
This means the best approach, according to officials, is taking multiple precautions—like staying up to date with vaccines and waring a well-fitting mask—to keep COVID at bay. Chloe Taylor, Fortune Well, 4 Sep. 2023 Keiko Masumoto’s vessels best represent the beauty of the exhibition by combining the 12th century practice of Shigaraki ware with Pokémon — for example, Charizard pokes its limbs out of a traditional ceramic jar. Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2023 With this doll, Ariel can transform from mermaid tail to human waring a dress with just a push of a button (in her shell necklace). Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, 8 July 2023 According to the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, the economy in the first quarter this year saw some $2.4 trillion in productive facilities and equipment either ware out or become obsolete. Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 8 June 2021 Is the day coming when bowls ware a thing of the past? San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ware.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English waru; akin to Middle High German ware ware and probably to Sanskrit vasna price — more at venal

Adjective

Middle English war, ware "cognizant, watchful, prudent," going back to Old English wær, going back to Germanic *wara- (whence Old Saxon war "aware, careful," Old High German gewar, Old Norse varr, Gothic wars), going back to Indo-European *u̯oro-, ablaut derivative of *u̯er- "observe, perceive," whence Latin verērī "to show reverence for, fear," Tocharian B wär-sk- "smell (transitive and intransitive)," Latvian vērties "to look, watch," vērot "to observe," and perhaps Greek horáō, horân "to look, see"

Note: Greek horáō, horân has alternatively been seen as an outcome of an Indo-European base *ser- "keep an eye on, protect."

Verb (1)

Middle English waren "to be mindful, be on guard," going back to Old English warian "to be wary, guard, protect," going back to Germanic *warōjan- (whence Old Saxon waron "to attend to, protect," Old High German biwarōn, Old Norse vara "to warn," varask "to be on one's guard"), derivative of *wara- "aware" — more at ware entry 2

Verb (2)

Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse verja (past participle varithr, varthr to clothe, invest, spend) — more at wear

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ware was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ware

Cite this Entry

“Ware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ware. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ware

noun
ˈwa(ə)r,
ˈwe(ə)r
1
a
: manufactured articles or products of art or craft : goods
often used in combination
tinware
b
: an article of merchandise
peddlers hawking their wares
2
: items (as dishes) made from fired clay : pottery
earthenware

More from Merriam-Webster on ware

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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