to fill, especially suddenly, with fear or terror; frighten; alarm.
verb (used without object)
2.
to become frightened: That horse scares easily.
noun
3.
a sudden fright or alarm, especially with little or no reason.
4.
a time or condition of alarm or worry: For three months there was a war scare.
Verb phrases
5.
scare up, Informal.to obtain with effort; find or gather: to scare up money.
Origin: 1150–1200; (v.) Middle Englishskerren < Old Norseskirra to frighten, derivative of skjarr timid, shy; (noun) late Middle Englishskere, derivative of the v.
c.1200, from O.N. skirra "to frighten," related to skjarr "timid, shy," of unknown origin. The noun is attested from 1520s. To scare up "procure, obtain" is first recorded 1846, Amer.Eng., from notion of rousing game from cover.