Care

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /kɛə/
• GenAm IPA: /kɛəɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɛə(r)

From Middle English care, from Old English caru, ċearu ("care, concern, anxiety, sorrow, grief, trouble"), from Proto-Germanic *karō ("care, sorrow, cry"), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵār-, *gÀr- ("voice, exclamation"). Cognate with Old Saxon cara, kara ("concern, action"), Middle High German kar ("sorrow, lamentation"), Icelandic kör ("sickbed"), Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐍂𐌰 (kara, "concern, care"). Related also to Dutch karig ("scanty"), German karg ("sparse, meagre, barren"). See chary.

Full definition of care

Noun

1. (obsolete) Grief, sorrow.
• 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V:Than Feraunte his cosyn had grete care and cryed full lowde ....
2. Close attention; concern; responsibility.
   Care should be taken when holding babies.
• ShakespeareI thank thee for thy care and honest pains.
3. Worry.
   I don't have a care in the world.
4. Maintenance, upkeep.
   dental care
• Bible, 2 Car. xi. 28the care of all the churches
5. The treatment of those in need (especially as a profession).
• 2013-06-21, Karen McVeigh, US rules human genes can't be patented, The US supreme court has ruled unanimously that natural human genes cannot be patented, a decision that scientists and civil rights campaigners said removed a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation.
6. The state of being cared for by others.
   in care
7. The object of watchful attention or anxiety.
• SpenserRight sorrowfully mourning her bereaved cares.

Derived terms

Related terms

• chary

From Middle English caren, carien, from Old English carian ("to sorrow, grieve, be troubled, be anxious, to care for, heed"), from Proto-Germanic *karōną ("to care"), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵār-, *gÀr- ("voice, exclamation"). Cognate with Middle High German karn ("to complain, lament, grieve, mourn"), Alemannic German karen, kären ("to groan, wheeze, give a death rattle"), Swedish kära ("to fall in love"), Icelandic kæra ("to care, like"), Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐍂𐍉𐌽 (karōn, "to be concerned").

Verb

1. (intransitive) To be concerned about, have an interest in.
   I don't care what you think.
• 1959, Georgette Heyer, The Unknown Ajax Chapter 1, And no use for anyone to tell Charles that this was because the Family was in mourning for Mr Granville Darracott …: Charles might only have been second footman at Darracott Place for a couple of months when that disaster occurred, but no one could gammon him into thinking that my lord cared a spangle for his heir.
• 2012, May 27, Nathan Rabin, TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992), This newfound infatuation renders Bart uncharacteristically vulnerable. He suddenly has something to care about beyond causing trouble and makes a dramatic transformation from hell-raiser to gentleman about town.
2. (intransitive) To look after.
   Young children can learn to care for a pet.
3. (intransitive) To be mindful of.
4. Polite or formal way to say want.
   Would you care for another slice of cake?
   Would you care to dance?

Usage notes

Sense 4. Most commonly found as an interrogative or negative sentence.

Sense 4. This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See

Derived terms

• becare
• care for

Anagrams

• acre, Acre, race