noun

ware

WEH-uh

noun

Goods made for sale, especially pottery, metalware, or similar manufactured items (often used in the plural, "wares").

"The potter laid out her ware on a blanket at the market."

"Traders came from miles around to sell their ware."

adj

Aware; alert to danger or wary (now old-fashioned or dialectal).

""Ware the dog!" the sign warned."

How to Use Ware

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMerchandise or goods offered for sale — most often seen today as part of compounds like 'software' or 'hardware', or in the plural 'wares'.

Common mistake

Easily confused with the homophones "wear" (to have clothing on) and "where" (location) — ware refers to goods.

Easily confused with

wear → where →

Word Forms

more ware comparative, more ware comparative, wared past tense, wares plural, wares plural, wares singular, most ware superlative, most ware superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The potter laid out her _____ on a blanket at the market.

Etymology

From Old English waru ("goods, merchandise"), rooted in a Proto-Germanic word meaning "attention" or "something valuable to guard" — the same root that gives us "ward" and "beware."

Rhymes for ware

are dare care hare mare fare bare rare gare share snare stare

See all rhymes for ware →