scare

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A minor fright.

   Johnny had a bad scare last night.

2. 2
   noun

   A cause of terror or alarm; a panic; something that inspires fear or dread.

   a food-poisoning scare

3. 3
   noun

   A device or object used to frighten.

   But I admit the possibility of their being used as "scares" for either birds of prey or snakes, or both.

4. 4
   verb

   To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.

   Did it scare you when I said "Boo!"?

5. 5
   verb

   (To be able) to be scared.

   I don't scare easily.

6. 6
   noun

   a sudden attack of fear

7. 7
   noun

   sudden mass fear and anxiety over anticipated events

8. 8
   verb

   cause fear in

Etymology

From Middle English scaren, skaren, scarren, skeren, skerren, from Old Norse skirra (“to frighten; to shrink away from, shun; to prevent, avert”), from Proto-Germanic *skirzijaną (“to shoo, scare off”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to swing, jump, move”). Related to Old Norse skjarr (“timid, shy, afraid of”). Cognate with Scots skar (“wild, timid, shy”), dialectal Norwegian Nynorsk skjerra, dialectal Swedish skjarra and possibly Old Armenian ցիռ (cʻiṙ, “wild ass”).