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ware¹

  • /ˈwɛə/ UK
  • /ˈwɛɹ/ Canada, US
  • /ˈweː/ Australia
  • /ˈwɜː(ɹ)/
  • /ˈwe̝ə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈwiə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈweɹ/ Scotland

Sounds like wear, where (wine–whine merger), weir, we're (cheer–chair merger), were, whir (fair–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

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- (“to watch, keep guard”), whence also ward.

Cognate with Saterland Frisian Were (“an item for exchange, barter, or sale; ware”), Dutch waar (“goods offered for sale or use; ware”), German Ware (“ware”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk vare (“ware”), Faroese vøra (“ware”), Icelandic and Swedish vara (“ware”).

noun wares

  1. in compounds, uncountable, usually 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.
  2. in plural, uncountable, usually See wares.
  3. uncountable, usually Pottery or metal goods. damascene ware, tole ware
  4. countable, usually A style or genre of artifact.
  5. Ireland, uncountable, usually Crockery.

ware²

  • /ˈwɛə/ UK
  • /ˈwɛɹ/ Canada, US
  • /ˈweː/ Australia
  • /ˈwɜː(ɹ)/
  • /ˈwe̝ə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈwiə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈweɹ/ Scotland

Sounds like wear, where (wine–whine merger), weir, we're (cheer–chair merger), were, whir (fair–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

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

adjective more ware · most ware

  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.

ware³

  • /ˈwɛə/ UK
  • /ˈwɛɹ/ Canada, US
  • /ˈweː/ Australia
  • /ˈwɜː(ɹ)/
  • /ˈwe̝ə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈwiə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈweɹ/ Scotland

Sounds like wear, where (wine–whine merger), weir, we're (cheer–chair merger), were, whir (fair–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

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 wares · waring · wared

  1. dialectal, obsolete To be ware or mindful of something. 1450, Palladius on Husbondrieː Ware the horn and heels lest they fling a flap to thee.
  2. obsolete To protect or guard (especially oneself); to be on guard, be wary. Ware thee.

adjective more ware · most ware

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

ware⁴

  • /ˈwɛə/ UK
  • /ˈwɛɹ/ Canada, US
  • /ˈweː/ Australia
  • /ˈwɜː(ɹ)/
  • /ˈwe̝ə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈwiə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈweɹ/ Scotland

Sounds like wear, where (wine–whine merger), weir, we're (cheer–chair merger), were, whir (fair–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

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

noun

  1. UK, dialectal, obsolete Seaweed; drift seaweed; seawrack. 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

ware⁵

  • /ˈwɛə/ UK
  • /ˈwɛɹ/ Canada, US
  • /ˈweː/ Australia
  • /ˈwɜː(ɹ)/
  • /ˈwe̝ə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈwiə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈweɹ/ Scotland

Sounds like wear, where (wine–whine merger), weir, we're (cheer–chair merger), were, whir (fair–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

verb wares · waring · wared · wore

  1. alternative Alternative form of wear (“to veer or bring (a sailing vessel) onto the other tack by bringing the wind around the stern”) The Ship wares bravely, steddy, steddy; she is before it. […] The Ship wares round, so right the Helm; hard up.

ware⁶

  • /ˈwɛə/ UK
  • /ˈwɛɹ/ Canada, US
  • /ˈweː/ Australia
  • /ˈwɜː(ɹ)/
  • /ˈwe̝ə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈwiə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈweɹ/ Scotland

Sounds like wear, where (wine–whine merger), weir, we're (cheer–chair merger), were, whir (fair–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From Middle English ware, from Old Norse vár (“spring”), from Proto-Germanic *wazrą. Cognate with Icelandic vor (“spring”), Swedish vår (“spring”), Danish vår (“spring”), Scots ware, wair (“spring”).

noun wares

  1. Northern England, Scotland Spring, springtime.

ware⁷

  • /ˈwɛə/ UK
  • /ˈwɛɹ/ Canada, US
  • /ˈweː/ Australia
  • /ˈwɜː(ɹ)/
  • /ˈwe̝ə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈwiə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈweɹ/ Scotland

Sounds like wear, where (wine–whine merger), weir, we're (cheer–chair merger), were, whir (fair–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

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 add

ware⁸

  • /ˈwɛə/ UK
  • /ˈwɛɹ/ Canada, US
  • /ˈweː/ Australia
  • /ˈwɜː(ɹ)/
  • /ˈwe̝ə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈwiə/ New Zealand
  • /ˈweɹ/ Scotland

Sounds like wear, where (wine–whine merger), weir, we're (cheer–chair merger), were, whir (fair–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

verb

  1. obsolete, past simple past of wear

Ware⁹

Where it comes from

* As an English surname, from the noun weir.

* Also as an English surname, from Anglo-Norman and Middle English wayour (“horse pond”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *wadą (“shallow water”).

* Also as an English surname, from the adjective wary.

* As an English surname of Norman origin, variant of Warr.

* As a West Flemish surname, from De Weer, from Middle Dutch weder (“ram”).

proper noun Wares

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

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: shirk, squander, waste, consume, sort, commodity, product, merchandise, dipper, articles, pottery, weir, porcelain, utensil, pressers, products

Translations

Every language

noun product

Españolmercancía
日本語品 shina
中文货物 huòwù
DeutschWare
Italianomerce, mercanzia
Русскийтова́р továr

verb beware of something

Italianodiffidare, stare all'erta

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"ware." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ware. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

ware. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ware

Chicago

"ware." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ware.

BibTeX
@misc{ware_2026,
  title = {ware},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ware},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}