alertness and prudence in a hazardous situation; care; wariness: Landslides ahead—proceed with caution.
2.
a warning against danger or evil; anything serving as a warning: By way of caution, he told me the difficulties I would face.
3.
Informal.a person or thing that astonishes or causes mild apprehension: She's a caution. The way he challenges your remarks is a caution.
verb (used with object)
4.
to give warning to; advise or urge to take heed.
verb (used without object)
5.
to warn or advise: The newspapers caution against overoptimism.
Origin: 1250–1300;Middle Englishcaucion < Latincautiōn- (stem of cautiō) a taking care, equivalent to caut(us), past participle of cavēre to guard against (cau- take care, guard + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn--ion
care, forethought, or prudence, esp in the face of danger; wariness
2.
something intended or serving as a warning; admonition
3.
chiefly (Brit) law a formal warning given to a person suspected or accused of an offence that his words will be taken down and may be used in evidence
4.
a notice entered on the register of title to land that prevents a proprietor from disposing of his or her land without a notice to the person who entered the caution
5.
informal an amusing or surprising person or thing: she's a real caution
—vb
6.
(tr) to urge or warn (a person) to be careful
7.
chiefly (Brit) (tr) law to give a caution to (a person)
8.
(intr) to warn, urge, or advise: he cautioned against optimism
[C13: from Old French, from Latin cautiō, from cavēre to beware]
c.1300, "bail, guarantee, pledge," from O.Fr., "security, surety," from L. cautionem (nom. cautio), from cautus pp. of cavere "to be on one's guard" (see caveat). The Latin sense re-emerged in Eng. 16c.-17c. The verb sense of "to warn" is from 1640s.