ware

plural wares

1. in compoundsuncountableusuallyGoods or a type of goods offered for sale or use.

   Artisans sell their ware in the historic district at the lower level of the Soldier's Barracks.

   2012, Julie Watson, Frommer's Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, page 179

   3 more examples

   Astbury was the more successful and made frequent journeys to London, where he sold his ware and obtained further orders.

   1923, John Lord, Capital and steam-power, 1750–1800

   On Sunday, a Mr. Stephen Muturi Kamau, aged 20 years, was shot dead at Dandora while he was selling his ware. This is a well known hawker. He has been hawking his ware in Dandora.

   2002 March 28, “Kenya National Assembly Official Record”, in parliamentary debates

   What in the world am I going to do with tarnished silver ware? The deeper I dig, I pull out more silver with carved handles.

   2011, Tonya Kappes, Carpe Bead'em

2. in pluraluncountableusuallySee wares.
3. uncountableusuallyPottery or metal goods.

   damascene ware, tole ware

4. countableusuallyarchaeologyA style or genre of artifact.
5. IrelanduncountableusuallyCrockery.

comparative more ware · superlative most ware

1. poeticAware.

   And in like wise as she said so they departed, that neither the king nor none of his council were ware of their departing.

   1485 July 28, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter I, in William Caxton, editor, Le Morte D’Arthur, volume 1

   1 more example

   But here thou canst not handle aught, neither make the folk ware of thee, not though thou shout thy throat hoarse. For thou and I walk here impalpable and invisible, as it were two dreams walking.

   1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 1

present singular third person wares · participle present waring · participle past wared · past wared

1. dialectalobsoleteTo be ware or mindful of something.

   c. 1470, The Macro Playsː ‘Ware that!’ quoth Ser Wyly.

   3 more examples

   1450, Palladius on Husbondrieː Ware the horn and heels lest they fling a flap to thee.

   c. 1450, Who Ðat Liste Lokeː Ware avoutrer untrue; Such love was never good ne may be true.

   Ware cleaners.

   1987, Kangs, Doctor Who: Paradise Towers

2. obsoleteTo protect or guard (especially oneself); to be on guard, be wary.

   Ware thee.

   Watch yourself.

comparative more ware · superlative most ware

1. obsoleteWary; cautious.

   Of whom be thou ware also.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Timothy 4:15

   2 more examples

   He is ware inough; he is wilye, and circumſpect for ſtirring vp any ſedition.

   1549 April 1 (Gregorian calendar), Hughe Latymer [i.e., Hugh Latimer], Augustine Bernher, compiler, “[27 Sermons Preached by the Ryght Reuerende Father in God and Constant Matir of Iesus Christe, Maister Hugh Latimer, […].] The Thyrde Sermon of Maister Hughe Latymer whyche He Preached before the Kynge [Edward VI], wythin Hys Graces Palayce at Westminster, the XXII. Daye of Marche.”, in Certayn Godly Sermons, Made uppon the Lords Prayer, […], London: […] John Day, […], published 1562, →OCLC, folio 39, verso

   Be he quite wary, as wood is ware of fire, as thigh of bramble or of thistle, he, who may be thinking to mislead these beeves or to mispossess this cattle.

   1864, Thomas Oswald Cockayne, Leechdoms, Wortcunning, and Starcraft of Early England, page 385

1. UKdialectalobsoleteSeaweed; drift seaweed; seawrack.

   Each ware-strand, or beach where drift-weed comes to land, is set apart for a certain number of tenants on the estate to which it belongs, and each 'brook of ware' as it comes ashore is divided among these tenants, usually in proportion to their rents.

   1896, Charles James Longman, Longman's Magazine, page 34

   2 more examples

   On many of the farms in East Lothian, from 100 to 120 Imperial acres are annually manured with sea-ware; and when I mention that 30 double-cart loads are spread on 1 acre, you may conceive the labour incurred in carting from 3000 to 3600 loads during a short season; for it is only in winter that the ware is cast ashore by storms,[…]

   1844, Henry Stephens, The book of the farm, page 1238

   The said farm, having been possessed […] in the deed of 12th July 1794, with the privilege of taking ware from the sea-shore for the use of the farm, and having been let by them to a tenant in 1804, with "liberty of the droven sea-ware, along with the other tenants of the Elie barony, for manuring the farm," […]

   1861 April 25, “William Baird, Appellant, v. William Ranken Fortune, Respondent”, in The Scottish Jurist: Being Reports of Cases Decided in the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and in the House of Lords on Appeal from Scotland, page 437

present singular third person wares · participle present waring · participle past wared · past wared · participle past wore · past wore

1. alternativenauticalAlternative form of wear (“to veer or bring (a sailing vessel) onto the other tack by bringing the wind around the stern”)

   ... to ware to the eastward.

   1838, James Fenimore Cooper, Cooper's Novels, page 210

   3 more examples

   The Ship wares bravely, steddy, steddy; she is before it. […] The Ship wares round, so right the Helm; hard up.

   1724, Joshua Kelly, The Modern Navigator's Compleat Tutor; Or, a Treatise of the Whole Art of Navigation in Its Theory and Practice, page 54

   […] [page 67:] He then stood off to windward, and opening his lower parts, wore round under her stern, […] [pages 365-372:] I have previously to observe, that the first part of this question implies that two distinct significations appertain to the signal for waring a fleet in the manner proposed; viz . to ware the sternmost first; and secondly, to ware the sternmost and leewardmost first. […] If to form on the opposite tack, the division L D ware together, and keep away […] [page xxi, glossary:] To Ware (or Veer), is to do the reverse [of Turning in or out or up, tacking to reach an object to windward]; or to turn round by going from the wind and hauling to it gradually; or, as it is termed, coming to the wind upon the other tack. To veer is more properly applied to paying-out or giving out more cable, or hawser; […]

   1824, Sir Charles Ekins, Naval Battles, from 1744 to the Peace in 1814: Critically Reviewed and Illustrated, pages 67,365-372

   [page 44:] If the vessel (being as above, without lower canvas) lie to under bare poles, and from some unexpected cause, such as a ship being discovered at day-light so close upon her to windward, that she must by any means be wore, to avoid the dreadful consequence of the other's falling on board […] [page 73:] When it is necessary to drive on the other tack, she is either wared, box-hauled, or put in stays. […] [page 203:] If this vessel, having these three square sails and a jib, be to ware, or recede from the wind, it appears that the power of the sails abaft the centre of gravity, or[…]

   1863, Darcy Lever, The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor: Or, a Key to the Leading of Rigging, and to Practical Seamanship, page 44,73,203

plural wares

1. Northern EnglandScotlandSpring, springtime.

1. Old eye dialect spelling of were.

   c. 1815, Mary Woody, A true account of Nayomy Wise A larg concors ware standing round

   1 more example

   Againſt this ther ware many objections made by the creditors, viz., that quoad the 9000 lƀ. a year contained in his contract of marriage, they ware præferable, being præferable and prior creditors, and ſo he was ſucceſſor titulo lucrativo poſt contractum debitum; and as to the 6000 lƀ. per annum added, 1^(o.) before that letter they had a jus quæſitum by the ſignitor; 2^(do.) They had rights præferable.

   1684, Historical Notices of Scotish Affairs, Selected from the Manuscripts of John Lauder of Fountainhall, Bart., One of the Senators of the College of Justice, volumes second (1683–1688), Edinburgh, published 1848, page 533

1. obsoletepastsimple past of wear

plural Wares · alternative Wares

1. A placename:
   1. countableuncountableA hamlet in Uplyme parish, East Devon district, Devon, next to Lyme Regis in Dorset (OS grid ref SY3291)
   2. countableuncountableA town and civil parish in East Hertfordshire district, Hertfordshire (OS grid ref TL3614).
   3. countableuncountableA hamlet in Ash parish, Dover district, Kent (OS grid ref TR2860).
   4. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Union County, Illinois.
   5. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Sherman Township, Pocahontas County, Iowa.
   6. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Casey County, Kentucky.
   7. countableuncountableA town and census-designated place therein, in Hampshire County, Massachusetts.
   8. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Missouri.
   9. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableEllipsis of Ware County.
2. countableA surname.