Now Sc. and dial. Forms: 5 warre, werre (?), Sc. var(e, 5–6 Sc. war, wayr, (6 pa. t. Sc. ward), 8–9 wear, 9 waur, 5– Sc. wair, 4– ware. [a. ON. verja, pa. t. varðe, pa. pple. varið-r, ‘to invest (money), lay out,’ a transferred use of the primary sense ‘to clothe’: cf. the corresponding OE. węrian to clothe, to wear: see WEAR v.] trans. To spend, lay out (money, goods). Const. in, on, upon, † of.
a. 1417. York Memo. Bk. (Surtees), I. 222. Ayther of them shall ware xviij d. in fyssh or thay passe the market.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 405. Now schall y neuer my golde spare, But faste upon thys warre hyt ware.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst. xxx. 252. Had I bot a penny on the wold I warte [i.e., ware it].
15[?]. Cokelbie Sow, 75, in Bannatyne MS. (Hunter. Club), 1023. And verrely as I hard Thus the money he ward.
1521. Lincoln Wills (Linc. Rec. Soc. V.), 103. The residew off the money … I will it be wared in the reparacions of a new lofte.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph., II. (Arb.), 122. They shall fynde it bothe lesse charge and more pleasure to ware at any tyme a couple of shyllynges of a new bowe.
1600. Heywood, 1st Pt. Edw. IV., III. i. I have wared all my money in cow-hides at Coleshill Market.
1634. Burgh Rec. Stirling (1889), II. 299. Item, wairit on the beiting and mending of the brig and lang calsey, 220 0 0.
1725. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., IV. ii. Ne’er grudge ilk year to ware some stanes of cheese, To gain these silent friends that ever please.
1729. P. Walkden, Diary (1866), 57. So I signed a bill to Alice Slater for the £3 2s. 6d. I had weared.
1785. Burns, Ep. Davie, ii. While coofs on countless thousands rant, And ken na how to wair’t.
1826. Galt, Last of Lairds, xxviii. 246. He gaed to Widow McPlooky’s public, and waur’d the sixpence on gills.
1880. Tennyson, Northern Cobbler, v. I grabb’d the munny she maäde, and I weär’d it o’ liquor, I did.
1893. Stevenson, Catriona, i. I would hae waired my siller better-gates than that.
b. fig. (e.g., one’s time, wit, life, love).
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 402. I schal ware alle my wyt to wynne me þeder. Ibid., 1235. I schal ware my whyle wel, quyl it lastez.
c. 1480. Henryson, Cock & Jewel, 153. Weill war that man ouer all vther, that mocht All his lyfe dayis in perfite studie wair To get science.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 205. Ready to wair thair lyffis … in his defence.
1639. Sir A. Johnston (Ld. Wariston), Diary (S.H.S.), I. 342. We wil not so mutch as to waire our thoughts upon it.
1725. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., IV. ii. Since we’ve little time, To ware ’t on words, wad border on a crime.
1794. Burns, On Willie Chalmers, ii. And faith ye’ll no be lost a whit, Tho’ waired on Willie Chalmers.
1818. Scott, Br. Lamm., xxviii. There would be little love wared on the matter. Ibid. (1826), Jrnl., 8 June. The struggle is worth waring a headache upon.
1894. Crockett, Raiders, xxxiii. 279. A good honest heart … that hasna been weared on ither lasses.
c. with out. (lit. and fig.)
1508. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 39. Thay wauchtit at the wicht wyne, and waris out wourdis.
1774. Petition, in A. McKay, Hist. Kilmarnock, 303. To ware out and expend the haill necessary depursements.
d. Phr. To be well, or ill, wared.
a. 1418[?]. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 244. The wages ben ful yvel wared With suiche a capitayn to abide.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 94. Ane of þaim vpbrayed hym … & said his yong wife was ill warid on hym.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., I. 449. Ȝour riches thus is waistit and euill waird.
a. 1585. Montgomerie, Flyting, 265. The cuff is weill waired that twa hame brings. Ibid., 697. Na maruell though ill won ill waired bee.
a. 1614. J. Melvill, Autob. & Diary (Wodrow Soc.), 68. I haiff bein ready to gyff my lyf whar it was nocht halff sa weill wared, at the pleasour of my God.
1686. G. Stuart, Joco-Ser. Disc., 33. If aw the rest were right repair’d, I trow our Labour were well wair’d.
1807. Tannahill, Soldier’s Ret., II. iii. A glass, to croun a wish, was never better wair’d.
