ware

UK: /wɛə/ US: /wɛr/ ,(wâr)

Inflections of 'ware' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

wares

v 3rd person singular

waring

v pres p

wared

v past

wared

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ware¹ /wɛr/   n. 

1. Usually, wares. [plural] merchandise;
   goods:
   a peddler selling his wares in the market.
2. a particular kind of merchandise:
   [uncountable] glassware.
3. Ceramics pottery:
   [uncountable] delft ware.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ware¹  (wâr), n. 

1. Usually, wares. 
   • articles of merchandise or manufacture;
     goods:
     a peddler selling his wares.
   • any intangible items, as services or products of artistic or intellectual creativity, that are salable:
     an actor advertising his wares.
2. a specified kind or class of merchandise or of manufactured article (usually used in combination):
   silverware; glassware.
3. Ceramics pottery, or a particular kind of pottery:
   delft ware.
4. Archaeology, Ceramics a group of ceramic types classified according to paste and texture, surface modification, as burnish or glaze, and decorative motifs rather than shape and color.

• bef. 1000; Middle English; Old English waru; cognate with German Ware

ware²  (wâr), adj., v., wared, war•ing. [Archaic.]
adj. 

1. watchful, wary, or cautious.
2. aware;
   conscious.

v.t. 

3. to beware of (usually used in the imperative).

• bef. 900; Middle English (adjective, adjectival and verb, verbal); Old English wær (adjective, adjectival); cognate with German gewahr aware, Old Norse varr

ware³  (wâr), v.t., wared, war•ing. [Scot. and North Eng.]

1. to spend;
   expend.

• Old Norse verja to spend, invest
• Middle English 1300–50

ware⁴  (wâr), n. [Scot. and North Eng.]

1. the first season in the year;
   spring.

• Old Norse vār spring; perh. akin to Latin vēr (see vernal), Greek éar spring
• Middle English 1250–1300

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ware / wɛə/ noun (often in combination)

1. (functioning as singular) articles of the same kind or material: glassware, silverware
2. porcelain or pottery of a specified type: agateware, jasper ware

Etymology: Old English waru; related to Old Frisian were, Old Norse vara, Middle Dutch Ware

ware / wɛə/ verb

1. another word for beware

adjective

1. another word for wary, wise1

Etymology: Old English wær; related to Old Saxon, Old High German giwar, Old Norse varr, Gothic war, Latin vereor. See aware, beware