Middle English Dictionary Entry

cāre n.(1)
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Entry Info

Forms cāre n.(1)
Etymology OE caru, cearu.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) Sorrow, sadness, grief; also, annoyance, vexation; (b) lamentation, wailing; (c) clething of ~, mourning garb.
Show 28 Quotations
2.
(a) The pain of disease or death; the pangs of love, lovesickness; -- also in pl.; bed of ~, sickbed; moder ~, pains of childbirth; (b) ~ bed [cp. OI kœr-beðr], a sickbed.
Show 21 Quotations
3.
(a) Distress, hardship, harm, injury, misfortune; voice of ~, voice of misfortune, ill-omened voice; God kepe it fro ~, God shilde him from ~, etc.; (b) difficulty, labor; (c) sin, wickedness; slaughter ~, murder; (d) don ~, do harm to (sb.), injure; (e) with ~, evilly, unfortunately.
Show 33 Quotations
4.
(a) Fear, dread; withouten ~, without fear; (b) withouten ~, without doubt, truly.
Show 12 Quotations
5.
(a) Anxiety, concern, solicitude; (b) casten ~ awei, cast away care, be carefree; have thou (ye) no ~, do not worry; also, you may be sure, never fear [quot.TC]; leggen awei ~, be carefree; slen ~, kill care, be merry; withouten ~, in a carefree manner; (c) ~ awei, away with care!
Show 29 Quotations
6.
Charge, responsibility; under ~ of, under the leadership of.
Show 1 Quotation

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)2244 : Ful grete wonder Sir Ywayn hade For þai swilk joy and sorow made; 'Sir,' he said, 'if ȝowre wil ware, I wald wyt why ȝe make slike kare.'
    • Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.(b).
    Note: Modify gloss by addition of verb phrase: (b) lamentation, wailing; maken ~ , to lament, grieve.
  • c1440(a1400) Eglam.(Thrn)954 : Leue we here this lady..And speke we now of Sir Eglamour: Till hym come kare ynoghe.
    • Note: Additional quot. for sense 3.(a).
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Provisional revised form section: Also car(re, cara, char, kare; pl. cares, etc. & carez, kares.--notes per MLL

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