Forms: 1 carian, cearian, 2–3 carien, 3–4 car, kar, 4– care. [Com. Teut.: OE. carian = OS. carôn, OHG. charôn, -ên, MHG. caren, karn, Goth. karôn:—OTeut. *karôjan to mourn, sorrow, have trouble, trouble oneself, f. *karâ- CARE sb.1]
† 1. To sorrow or grieve. Obs.
a. 1000. Crist, 277 (Gr.). Hwæt bemurnest ðu ceariʓende.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 243. Þa cearodon þa sunder halȝan.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 27. Moni þing schal ham wraððen … ant makie to carien.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 3182. Whi carestow? sede þe quene.
c. 1400. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 4. The lond … for defalte of help hath longe cared.
1530. Palsgr., 475/1. I care for his losses, Je me chagrine de ses pertes.
† b. To mourn, lament. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3212. Sarra … deid … and abraham can for hir car.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Clerkes T., 1156. Lat hym care and wepe and wryng and waille.
2. † a. To be troubled, uneasy or anxious (obs.). b. To feel concern (great or little), be concerned, trouble oneself, feel interest. Now only with for.
Beowulf, 1536. Na [man] ymb his lif cearað.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 48. Sore mei anoðer of hire fluht carien.
c. 1300. Beket, 1573. Ich wole sigge … whi ich carie so.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 11675 (Fairf.). I care mare for a-noþer þing.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., 88 (Mätz). Ye nede not to care if ye folow my sawe.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Sam. ix. 20. As for the Asses … care not thou for them for they are founde.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. i. 173. Those that care to keepe your royall Person.
1611. Bible, 2 Sam. xviii. 3. Neither if halfe of vs die will they care for vs.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. v. 421. He cared only … for his own interests.
1861. Faber, Hymn, ‘Sweet Saviour.’ Labour is sweet, for Thou hast toiled; And care is light, for Thou hast cared.
c. To be careful, to take care. Now only dial.
a. 1591. H. Smith, Serm. (1637), 302. It is not enough to heare, but you must care how you heare: it is not enough to pray, but you must care how you pray. Ibid. (1866), II. 42. Let them which are down care to rise.
1883. Harper’s Mag., Jan., 200/2. Unless a man cares to fall her right, she’ll break all up.
3. To care for: to take thought for, provide for, look after, take care of. Also with indirect pass.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 5. He wile carien for hire.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. II. 161. Þanne cared þei for caplus to kairen hem þider.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. xxxix. 17. I am poore & in mysery, but the Lorde careth for me.
1607. Shaks., Cor., I. i. 79. Who care for you like Fathers?
1676. Hale, Contempl., I. 183. He careth for us that knows what is fittest for us.
1858. Geo. Eliot, Sc. Cleric. Life, Janet’s Rep., xxv. 318. Infinite Love was caring for her.
1887. Manch. Guard., 14 April, 7/5. The child had the appearance of having been well cared for.
4. In negative and conditional construction: a. Not to care passes from the notion of ‘not to trouble oneself,’ to those of ‘not to mind, not to regard or pay any deference or attention, to pay no respect, be indifferent.’ Const. for, etc.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, vi. 139. I departed fro my londe poure & exyled but I dyd not care for it.
1535. Coverdale, Matt. xxii. 16. Master we knowe that thou carest for no man.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., II. ii. 18. Ne ought he car’d whom he endamaged By tortious wrong.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. i. 18. What cares these roarers for the name of King?
1633. P. Fletcher, Pisc. Ecl., V. 28. Full little caren they To make their milkie mothers bleating stay.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 145, ¶ 4. The young Man is rich, and, as the Vulgar say, needs not care for any body.
1748. Thomson, Cast. Indol., II. iii. I care not, Fortune, what you me deny.
a. 1774. Goldsm., Hist. Greece, II. 61. This important pass, which Philip did not care attempting to force.
1816. J. Wilson, City of Plague, II. iv. 174. In thy embrace what do I care for death.
1871. Morley, Voltaire (1878), 3. Men had almost ceased to care whether there be any moral order or not.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 13. Cephalus appears not to care about riches.
1883. G. Lloyd, Ebb & Flow, I. 18. I don’t care what people say.
(a.) with some strengthening word, as a pin, a button, a straw, a rush, a fig, a farthing, a rap, etc.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. ii. 12. He … cared not for God or man a point.
1633. Marmyon, Fine Companion, II. i. 68. I do not care a pin for her.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 50. I do not care a farthing for you.
1760. Goldsm., Cit. W., xlvi. Not that I care three damns what figure I may cut.
1828. Thaumaturgus, 23.
| If for the truth you care a button, | |
| Consult La Place, Poisson, and Hutton. |
1856. R. Vaughan, Mystics (1860), I. 4. A subject … for which not ten of your friends care a straw.
1876. Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., 236. I don’t care a toss where you are. Ibid., 211. You suppose I care a damn for that?
1880. Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., II. 4. Pharisees care not a fig for the Lord’s hearing them.
(b.) Sc. To care na by: not to care about (it).
1788. E. Picken, Poems, I. 189 (Jam.). Alake, she cared na by.
a. 1796. Burns, My Nannie O., viii. Come weal, come woe, I care na by.
b. Not to mind (something proposed); to have no disinclination or objection, be disposed to. Now only with if, though.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 18. Some for a fewe tythes, with Cayn, careth not to lese the eternall rychesse of heuen.
c. 1590. Marlowe, Dido, IV. v. So you’ll love me, I care not if I do.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., I. ii. 142. I care not if I be your Physitian.
1611. Florio, Scrócca il fuso … a light-heeled trull that cares not to horne hir husband.
1646. Row, Hist. Kirk (1842), 324. We care not to lett you see what we wrot up to the King.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), V. 265. Widow. Will you eat, or drink, friend?
Fellow. A cup of small ale, I don’t care if I do.
1841. Gresley, C. Lever, 58. I don’t care if I go with you for once.
5. To have a regard or liking for. Orig. only in neg. or interrog. constructions (‘not to regard’ as in 4 a); now also in affirmative, but usually as the alternative or negative of an implied negation.
a. To have a regard, liking or inclination for (a thing); to be inclined or disposed to, to think it worth while to do.
1560. A. L., trans. Calvin’s Foure Serm., iii. (R.). He cared for nothing more then that kynde of lyfe.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, III. § 4. 189. It [malice] onely careth to satisfie its owne venomous humour.
1697. Dampier, Voy., I. ix. 275. We … baked of these Roots … but none of us greatly cared for them.
1762. Goldsm., Nash, 12. He never cared to give money.
1868. J. H. Blunt. Ref. Ch. Eng., I. 98. Few cared for reformation; many cared for destruction.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 511. They become rulers in their own city if they care to be.
1883. H. Wace, Gospel & Witn., ii. 36. The main positions for which a Christian writer cares to contend.
b. To have regard, fondness or attachment for (a person).
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814), 244. I care not for hym that is ayenst my heart.
1590. Lodge, Euphues Gold. Leg. (1887), 163. Creep not to her that cares not for thee.
1657. R. Ligon, Barbadoes, 47. He never car’d much for her afterward.
1750. Lady Hervey, in Bk. of Days, II. 299. I dread to see people I care for quite easy and happy.
1878. Mrs. Wood, Pomeroy Ab., I. vi. 93. She was sure she cared for the lord at heart.
6. trans. in various senses: † a. To cause care to, trouble (obs.). † b. To care for, regard (obs.). c. To take care of, guard, preserve with care (dial.).
[c. 1230. Hali Meid., 29. Lutel þarf þe carien for þin anes liueneð.]
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 112. Nay ther of care thee noght quod Nicholas.
c. 1420. Iudicium (1822), 13. The day is comen of Catyfnes all those to care that ar uncleyn.
c. 1565. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron., 301 (Jam.). He cares you not in his just quarrell.
1612. Jas. I., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 266, III. 106. Ye littill care youre olde freindis.
1628. Feltham, Resolves, I. 76 (L.). Care them [jewels] up, and wear them but on festivals.
1881. Mrs. P. O’Donoghue, Ladies on Horseback, vi. 84. If you care your things … it is surprising how long they may be made to serve.
