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

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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. a hunter yelling to his dog, "Ware the porcupine!" Adjective he's ware of the dangers that await him in the Antarctic
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Neighboring home good shops/interior design studios Hart Habitats and Shoshin (San Carlos Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue) are full of welcoming colors, patterns and tempting wares. Jessica Ritz, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Aug. 2024 While jerseys, slouchy trousers, and oversized tees are her go-to at times, celebrating Barbados calls for wares that are centered around her home country. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 6 Aug. 2024 The preseason games, as well as the joint practices against the Saints, will allow Mustapha to show his wares as a hitter. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2024 Shrinking profits have forced producers to further increase output and more heavily discount their wares in order to generate cash to service their debts. Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ware 

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 5 Oct. 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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