Forms: 3 kaucyon, 3–6 caucion, 4 caucioun, 5 cawcion, 5–6 caucyon, 6 cawcyon, causion, Sc. cautioun, 7 cawtion, 6– caution. [a. F. caution security, surety:—L. cautiōn-em taking heed, heedfulness, caution; bond, security, f. caut- ppl. stem of cavēre to beware, take heed. The earlier uses were as in French; it was only in 16–17th c. that the original L. sense, as a quality, was introduced.]
1. Security given for the performance of some engagement; bail; a guarantee, a pledge. Still in Sc. Law, in U.S., and in caution-money; see 6.
Bond of caution (Sc. Law): a security given by one person for another that he shall pay a certain sum or perform a certain act.
1297. R. Glouc., Chron. (1810), 506. The kyng suor vpe the boc, and caucion vond god, That he al clanliche to the popes loking stod.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 2811. Kaucyon they nolde geve, no bidde.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, I. xvii. (1859), 18. He ne may … oblyge hym self, ne ley caucyon to pursue forth his accyon.
1531. in W. H. Turner, Select. Rec. Oxford, 99. To put yn cawcyon or gage that he schall not sewe the scoller.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turkes (1621), 1284. Sufficient recognizance or caution sealed with his owne hand.
1651. Hobbes, Liberty, i. Wks. (1841), II. 13. The conqueror may … compel the conquered … to give caution of his future obedience.
a. 1718. Penn, Wks. (1726), I. 668. Our Caution is as large as the Man that Swears.
1726. Ayliffe, Parerg., 25. He … ought to give Caution by the Means of Sureties, that he will persevere in the Prosecution.
1798. in Dallas, Amer. Law Rep., I. 107. These views are answered here … with as good caution as in England.
1876. Grant, Burgh Sch. Scotl., II. iii. 132. To remain in ward until he find caution not to contravene the act of council.
b. The person who becomes security, a surety. Obs. exc. Sc.
1586. Lett. Earle Leycester, 23. By Othe, Bonds or Hostages, as cautions for her good and loyal demeanour.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1584/2. Release of the bonds & hostages that should be giuen for cautions in that behalfe.
1627. Rutherford, Lett., I. (1862), I. 35. [Christ] becomes caution to His Father for all such as resolve and promise to serve Him.
1656. Cowley, Pind. Odes (1687), 3. What God (alas) will Caution be, For living Man’s Securitie.
1685. Cotton, trans. Montaigne, I. vi. 154. Any for whose Intentions they would become absolute Caution.
1826. J. Wilson, Noct. Ambr., Wks. 1855, I. 214. A bosom freen for whom ye had been caution rinnin aff to America.
† c. An obligation, a bond. Obs.
138[?]. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 22. Take þi caucioun and sette soone and wryte fifty barellis. [So 1388 Wyclif, Luke xvi. 6; 1382 has obligacioun.]
d. = Caution-money: see 6.
1830. Bp. Monk, Life Bentley (1833), II. 107. For some time after his degradation the disputations in theology were entirely dispensed with, on the payment of caution.
† 2. A saving clause; a proviso. Obs.
a. 1591. H. Smith, Wks. (1867), II. 5. We pray for health, and wealth, and honour, and rest, and liberty, and life, with a caution, If it be God’s will.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxxvi. § 6. It standeth therefore with these cautions firm and true.
1616. Sir H. Docwra, in Fortesc. Papers (1871), 18. The office shold be divided in twoe, but with this speciall cawtion, that our charges shold be kepte aparte.
1667. Milton, P. L., V. 513. But say, What meant that caution joind, if ye be found Obedient?
1695. Woodward, Nat. Hist. Earth, I. (1723), 8. I advance nothing from any Observation that was not made with this Caution.
3. A word of warning; a caveat, monition; a hint or advice to anyone to take heed.
1605. Shaks., Macb., IV. i. 73. What ere thou art, for thy good caution thanks.
1623. Cockeram, Caution = Caueat, a warning.
1661. Bramhall, Just Vind., ii. 13. Not by way of censure, but of caution.
1791. (title) A Caution to Gentlemen who use Sheridan’s Dictionary.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 659. Measures for conveying to his rival a caution which perhaps might still arrive in time.
b. Mil. An explanation previous to the word of command; a preliminary word of command.
1796. Instr. & Reg. Cavalry (1803), 135. The squadron leader will give a loud CAUTION that the doubling is to be made either successively, or by the whole squadron at once.
1859. F. A. Griffiths, Artil. Man. (1862), 30. The commanding officer will give the caution, form company squares.
c. An occurrence, act, or fact, which conveys a warning. (Somewhat colloq.: cf. ‘warning.’)
1878. Fr. A. Kemble, Rec. Girlhood, I. i. 14. The totally different character imparted by a helmet, or a garland of roses, to the same set of features, is a ‘caution’ to irregular beauties.
d. slang. (Of U.S. origin.) Anything that staggers, or excites alarm or astonishment; an extraordinary thing or person.
1835. C. F. Hoffman, Winter in West, 234 (Bartlett). The way the icy blast would come down the bleak shore was a caution.
1859. All Y. Round, No. 22. 520. One man … whose performance was what the Americans call ‘a caution.’
1868. H. C. Johnson, Argent. Alps, 93. The first fifteen leagues we got over cheerily enough, but the last five were a caution.
1870. M. Collins, Vivian, III. ii. 26. His wife was what the Yankees call a ‘caution.’
4. The taking of heed; ‘provident care, wariness against evil’ (J.), as a kind or quality of conduct; cautiousness, heedfulness, circumspectness, prudence in regard to danger.
1651. Reliq. Wotton., 11. Solicitudes … which kept the Earle in extream and continuall caution.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 197. Uncover … your choicest Plants, but with Caution.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 703. By little Caution, and much Love betray’d.
1719. Young, Revenge, V. ii. A rage In which the wise with caution will engage.
1729. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. Pref. 7. Caution to avoid being mistaken.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr., III. VI. iii. 453. Godfrey … had learned caution by his eventful life; it had degenerated into craft.
1863. W. Phillips, Speeches, vi. 139. Caution is not always good policy.
1876. Green, Short Hist., vii. § 6 (1882), 405. The caution and hesitation of Philip.
† 5. (with pl.). A taking of heed, a cautious action or mode of proceeding; a precaution. Obs.
1605. Shaks., Macb., III. vi. 44. That … might Aduise him to a Caution t’ hold what distance His wisedome can prouide.
1669. Boyle, Contn. New Exp., I. xlv. 156. For greater caution I caus’d the Pump to be almost all the while kept at work.
1691. T. H[ale], Acc. New Invent., 26. What can be more demonstrable, than that the neglect of ordinary Cautions, must be attended with the ordinary Evils, those Cautions were provided against.
1768. H. Walpole, Hist. Doubts, 21. The queen wrote instantly to her brother to bring up the young king to London,… which, whether a prudent caution or not, was the first overt act of the new reign.
1801. Med. & Phys. Jrnl., V. 157. The sources of error will, we trust, be in future avoided, by due attention to those cautions in the practice, which have been so fully pointed out by Dr. Jenner and others.
6. attrib., as caution money, money deposited as a security for good conduct, esp. by a student on entering a college, or an Inn of Court; † caution town = CAUTIONARY town.
1665. Surv. Aff. Netherl., 140. They delivered us the Caution-Towns we had taken.
1842. Arnold, in Life & Corr. (1844), II. x. 305. The Colleges take care to secure themselves by requiring caution money.
1845. trans. L. Blanc’s Hist. Ten Y., II. 652. No freedom of the press, except in favour of those who can deposit an exorbitant sum of caution money.
