ware

Etymology 1

From Middle English ware, war, from Old English wær, from Proto-West Germanic *war, from Proto-Germanic *waraz.

adj

1. (poetic) Aware.
   And in like wise as she said so they departed, that neither the king nor none of his council were ware of their departing. July 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter I, in William Caxton, editor, Le Morte D’Arthur, volume 1

Etymology 2

From Middle English ware, from Old English waru, from Proto-West Germanic *waru, from Proto-Germanic *warō (“attention”) as in beware, in the sense of “an object of care, a valuable”, from Proto-Indo-European *wer-, whence also ward. Cognate with Dutch waar (“goods offered for sale or use”) and Swedish vara, with the same meaning.

noun

1. (uncountable, usually in combination) Goods or a type of goods offered for sale or use.
   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. March 28, 2002, “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
   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
2. (in the plural) See wares.
3. (uncountable) Pottery or metal goods.
   damascene ware, tole ware
4. (countable, archaeology) A style or genre of artifact.
5. (Ireland) Crockery.

Etymology 3

From Middle English waren (“to be ware, be on guard, be mindful, protect, guard”), from Old English warian, from Proto-West Germanic *warōn, from Proto-Germanic *warōną. Cognate with Saterland Frisian woarje (“to guard”).

verb

1. (obsolete or dialectal) To be ware or mindful of something.
   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.
   c. 1470, The Macro Playsː ‘Ware that!’ quoth Ser Wyly.
   Ware cleaners. 1987, Kangs, Doctor Who: Paradise Towers
2. (obsolete) To protect or guard (especially oneself); to be on guard, be wary.
   Ware thee. ― Watch yourself.

adj

1. (obsolete) Wary; cautious.
   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

Etymology 4

From Middle English wor (in sewor) from Old English wār (“seaweed”), ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *wīraz; compare wire. Cognate with Dutch wier (“seaweed”), Middle Dutch wier (“seaweed”).

noun

1. (obsolete, UK, dialect) Seaweed.

Etymology 5

verb

1. (nautical) To wear, or veer.

Etymology 6

verb

1. Old eye dialect spelling of were.
   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 before that letter they had a jus quæſitum by the ſignitor; 2 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
   c. 1815, Mary Woody, A true account of Nayomy Wise A larg concors ware standing round

Etymology 7

verb

1. (obsolete) simple past of wear
   He ware upon his head a diademe of purple interpaled with white, like as Darius was accustomed. 1553, John Brende, Historie of Quintus Curcius