Chary is an adjective meaning discreetly cautious, hesitant and vigilant about dangers and risks, or slow to grant, accept, or expend.
Chary es un adjetivo que significa cauteloso, reacio a conceder, aceptar o gastar.
| Front | chary \CHAIR-ee\ |
|---|---|
| Back | adjective Discreetly cautious: as a) hesitant and vigilant about dangers and risks b) slow to grant, accept, or expend. [It was sorrow that bred the caution of "chary." In Middle English "chary" meant "sorrowful," a sense that harks back to the word's Old English ancestor "caru" (an early form of "care," and another term that originally meant "sorrow" or "grief"). In a sense switch that demonstrates that love can be both bitter and sweet, "chary" later came to mean "dear" or "cherished." That's how 16th century English dramatist George Peele used it: "the chariest and the choicest queen, That ever did delight my royal eyes." Both sorrow and affection have largely faded from "chary," however, and in Modern English the word is most often used as a synonym of either "careful" or "sparing."] |
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Antaean greek antaeus hercules discovered william an-tee-un adjective
Previous card: Noun spelled english sepulchre sepelire sep-ul-ker place burial
Up to card list: Hard English Vocabulary