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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

war·y

Audio Help [wair-ee] Pronunciation Key

–adjective, war·i·er, war·i·est.

1.	watchful; being on one's guard against danger.

2.	arising from or characterized by caution: to give someone a wary look.

[Origin: 1545–55; ware² + -y¹

]

—Related forms

war·i·ly, adverb

war·i·ness, noun

—Synonyms 1. alert, vigilant, guarded, circumspect, prudent. See careful.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Wary

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

war·y Audio Help (wâr'ē) Pronunciation Key
adj. war·i·er, war·i·est

On guard; watchful: taught to be wary of strangers.
Characterized by caution: a wary glance at the black clouds.

[Middle English ware, from Old English wær; see wer-³ in Indo-European roots.]

war'i·ly adv., war'i·ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
wary

1552, from O.E. wær "prudent, aware, alert, wary," from P.Gmc. *waraz (cf. O.N. varr "attentive," Goth. wars "cautious," O.S. giwar, M.Du. gheware, O.H.G. giwar, Ger. gewahr "aware"), from PIE base *wer- "to cover" (see weir).

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

wary
adjective
1.	marked by keen caution and watchful prudence; "they were wary in their movements"; "a wary glance at the black clouds"; "taught to be wary of strangers" [ant: unwary]
2.	openly distrustful and unwilling to confide [syn: leery]

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
wary [ˈweəri] adjective

cautious or on one's guard (about or concerning)
Example: Be wary of lending money to him.

Arabic:	حَذِر، مُحْتَرِس
Chinese (Simplified):	警惕的
Chinese (Traditional):	警惕的
Czech:	ostražitý
Danish:	forsigtig
Dutch:	omzichtig
Estonian:	ettevaatlik
Finnish:	varuillaan oleva
French:	prudent; méfiant
German:	vorsichtig
Greek:	επιφυλακτικός
Hungarian:	óvatos
Icelandic:	varkár
Indonesian:	hati-hati
Italian:	accorto, cauto; diffidente

Japanese:	用心深い
Korean:	조심성 있는, 주의 깊은
Latvian:	piesardzīgs
Lithuanian:	atsargus
Norwegian:	forsiktig, var(som), sky
Polish:	czujny, ostrożny
Portuguese (Brazil):	cauteloso
Portuguese (Portugal):	cauteloso
Romanian:	prudent; circumspect
Russian:	осторожный
Slovak:	ostražitý, opatrný
Slovenian:	oprezen
Spanish:	cauteloso, cauto, prudente
Swedish:	varsam, försiktig
Turkish:	dikkatli

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wary

A*ware"\, a. [OE. iwar, AS. gew[ae]r, fr. w[ae]r wary. The pref. ge- orig. meant together, completely. ?. See Wary.]

1. Watchful; vigilant or on one's guard against danger or difficulty.

2. Apprised; informed; cognizant; conscious; as, he was aware of the enemy's designs.

Aware of nothing arduous in a task They never undertook. --Cowper.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wary

Be*ware"\, v. i. [Be, imperative of verb to be + ware. See Ware, Wary.]

1. To be on one's guard; to be cautious; to take care; -- commonly followed by of or lest before the thing that is to be avoided.

Beware of all, but most beware of man ! --Pope.

Beware the awful avalanche. --Longfellow.

2. To have a special regard; to heed. [Obs.]

Behold, I send an Angel before thee. . . . Beware of him, and obey his voice. --Ex. xxiii. 20, 21.

Note: This word is a compound from be and the Old English ware, now wary, which is an adjective. "Be ye war of false prophetis." --Wyclif, Matt. vii. 15. It is used commonly in the imperative and infinitive modes, and with such auxiliaries (shall, should, must, etc.) as go with the infinitive.

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Wary

Cau"tious\, a. [Cf. L. cautus, fr. caver. See Caution.] Attentive to examine probable effects and consequences of acts with a view to avoid danger or misfortune; prudent; circumspect; wary; watchful; as, a cautious general.

Cautious feeling for another's pain. --Byron.

Be swift to hear; but cautious of your tongue. --Watts.

Syn: Wary; watchful; vigilant; prudent; circumspect; discreet; heedful; thoughtful; scrupulous; anxious; careful.

Usage: Cautious, Wary, Circumspect. A man is cautious who realizes the constant possibility of danger; one may be wary, and yet bold and active; a man who is circumspect habitually examines things on every side in order to weigh and deliberate. It is necessary to be cautious at all times; to be wary in cases of extraordinary danger; to be circumspect in matters of peculiar delicacy and difficulty.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wary

Gar"nish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Garnished; p. pr. & vb. n. Garnishing.] [OE. garnischen, garnissen, OF. garnir to provide, strengthen, prepare, garnish, warn, F. garnir to provide, furnish, garnish, -- of German origin; cf. OHG. warn[=o]n to provide, equip; akin to G. wahren to watch, E. aware, ware, wary, and cf. also E. warn. See Wary, -ish, and cf. Garment, Garrison.]

1. To decorate with ornamental appendages; to set off; to adorn; to embellish.

All within with flowers was garnished. --Spenser.

2. (Cookery) To ornament, as a dish, with something laid about it; as, a dish garnished with parsley.

3. To furnish; to supply.

4. To fit with fetters. [Cant] --Johnson.

5. (Law) To warn by garnishment; to give notice to; to garnishee. See Garnishee, v. t. --Cowell.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wary

Pan`o*ra"ma\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ?, ?, all + ? that which is seen, a view, fr. ? to see. See Pan-, and Wary.]

1. A complete view in every direction.

2. A picture presenting a view of objects in every direction, as from a central point.

3. A picture representing scenes too extended to be beheld at once, and so exhibited a part at a time, by being unrolled, and made to pass continuously before the spectator.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wary

Un*ware"\, a. [AS. unw[ae]r unwary. See Un- not, and Wary.]

1. Unaware; not foreseeing; being off one's guard. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Fairfax.

2. Happening unexpectedly; unforeseen. [Obs.]

The unware woe of harm that cometh behind. --Chaucer. -- Un*ware"ly, adv. [Obs.] -- Un*ware"ness, n. [Obs.]

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wary

Ward\, n. [AS. weard, fem., guard, weard, masc., keeper, guard; akin to OS. ward a watcher, warden, G. wart, OHG. wart, Icel. v["o]r[eth]r a warden, a watch, Goth. -wards in da['u]rawards a doorkeeper, and E. wary; cf. OF. warde guard, from the German. See Ware, a., Wary, and cf. Guard, Wraith.]

1. The act of guarding; watch; guard; guardianship; specifically, a guarding during the day. See the Note under Watch, n., 1.

Still, when she slept, he kept both watch and ward. --Spenser.

2. One who, or that which, guards; garrison; defender; protector; means of guarding; defense; protection.

For the best ward of mine honor. --Shak.

The assieged castle's ward Their steadfast stands did mightily maintain. --Spenser.

For want of other ward, He lifted up his hand, his front to guard. --Dryden.

3. The state of being under guard or guardianship; confinement under guard; the condition of a child under a guardian; custody.

And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard. --Gen. xl. 3.

I must attend his majesty's command, to whom I am now in ward. --Shak.

It is also inconvenient, in Ireland, that the wards and marriages of gentlemen's children should be in the disposal of any of those lords. --Spenser.

4. A guarding or defensive motion or position, as in fencing; guard. "Thou knowest my old ward; here I lay, and thus I bore my point." --Shak.

5. One who, or that which, is guarded. Specifically: (a) A minor or person under the care of a guardian; as, a ward in chancery. "You know our father's ward, the fair Monimia." --Otway. (b) A division of a county. [Eng. & Scot.] (c) A division, district, or quarter of a town or city.

Throughout the trembling city placed a guard, Dealing an equal share to every ward. --Dryden. (d) A division of a forest. [Eng.] (e) A division of a hospital; as, a fever ward.

6. (a) A projecting ridge of metal in the interior of a lock, to prevent the use of any key which has not a corresponding notch for passing it. (b) A notch or slit in a key corresponding to a ridge in the lock which it fits; a ward notch. --Knight.

The lock is made . . . more secure by attaching wards to the front, as well as to the back, plate of the lock, in which case the key must be furnished with corresponding notches. --Tomlinson.

Ward penny (O. Eng. Law), money paid to the sheriff or castellan for watching and warding a castle.

Ward staff, a constable's or watchman's staff. [Obs.]

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Wary

Ware\, a. [OE. war, AS. w[ae]r. [root]142. See Wary.] A ware; taking notice; hence, wary; cautious; on one's guard. See Beware. [Obs.]

She was ware and knew it bet [better] than he. --Chaucer.

Of whom be thou ware also. --2. Tim. iv. 15.

He is ware enough; he is wily and circumspect for stirring up any sedition. --Latimer.

The only good that grows of passed fear Is to be wise, and ware of like again. --Spenser.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Wary

War"ren\, n. [Of. waresne, warenne, garene, F. garenne, from OF. warer, garer, to beware, to take care; of Teutonic origin; cf. OHG. war?n (in comp.), OS. war?n to take care, to observe, akin to E. wary. ????. See Wary.]

1. (Eng Law) (a) A place privileged, by prescription or grant the king, for keeping certain animals (as hares, conies, partridges, pheasants, etc.) called beasts and fowls of warren. --Burrill. (b) A privilege which one has in his lands, by royal grant or prescription, of hunting and taking wild beasts and birds of warren, to the exclusion of any other person not entering by his permission. --Spelman.

They wend both warren and in waste. --Piers Plowman.

Note: The warren is the next franchise in degree to the park; and a forest, which is the highest in dignity, comprehends a chase, a park, and a free warren.

2. A piece of ground for the breeding of rabbits.

3. A place for keeping flash, in a river.

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Wary

Wa"ry\, a. [Compar. Warier; superl. Wariest.] [OE. war, AS. w[ae]r; akin to Icel. v?rr, Dan. & Sw. var, Goth. wars, G. gewahr aware, OHG. wara notice, attention, Gr. ? to see. Cf. Aware, Garment, Garnish, Garrison, Panorama, Ward, v. t. Ware, a., Warren.]

1. Cautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding against deception, artifices, and dangers; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous; careful. "Bear a wary eye." --Shak.

We should be wary, therefore, what persecution we raise against the living labors of public men. --Milton.

2. Characterized by caution; guarded; careful.

It behoveth our words to be wary and few. --Hooker.

Syn: Cautious; circumspect; watchful. See Cautious.

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