English edit

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle English sker, skere (terror, fright), from the verb Middle English skerren (to frighten) (see below).

Noun edit

scare (plural scares)

  1. A minor fright.
    Johnny had a bad scare last night.
    • 2011 June 4, Phil McNulty, “England 2 - 2 Switzerland”, in BBC[1]:
      England were held to a draw after surviving a major scare against Switzerland as they were forced to come from two goals behind to earn a point in the Euro 2012 qualifier at Wembley.
  2. A cause of slight terror; something that inspires fear or dread.
    a food-poisoning scare
  3. A device or object used to frighten.
    • 1948, Alec H. Chisholm, Bird Wonders of Australia, page 153:
      But I admit the possibility of their being used as "scares" for either birds of prey or snakes, or both.
Synonyms edit
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See also edit

Etymology 2 edit

From Middle English scaren, skaren, scarren, skeren, skerren, from Old Norse skirra (to frighten; to shrink away from, shun; to prevent, avert), from Proto-Germanic *skirzijaną (to shoo, scare off), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (to swing, jump, move). Related to Old Norse skjarr (timid, shy, afraid of). Cognate with Scots skar (wild, timid, shy), dialectal Norwegian Nynorsk skjerra, dialectal Swedish skjarra and possibly Old Armenian ցիռ (cʿiṙ, wild ass).

Verb edit

scare (third-person singular simple present scares, present participle scaring, simple past and past participle scared)

  1. To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
    Did it scare you when I said "Boo!"?
Synonyms edit
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Etymology 3 edit

Adjective edit

scare (comparative more scare, superlative most scare)

  1. lean; scanty

References edit

  1. ^ Stanley, Oma (1937), “I. Vowel Sounds in Stressed Syllables”, in The Speech of East Texas (American Speech: Reprints and Monographs; 2), New York: Columbia University Press, →DOI, →ISBN, § 6, page 16.

Anagrams edit

French edit

Etymology edit

From Latin scarus (also genus name Scarus), from Ancient Greek σκάρος (skáros).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

scare m (plural scares)

  1. parrotfish

Further reading edit

Anagrams edit