See Also: Red Scare, the(dictionary)
scare(1)(dictionary)
scare(2)(dictionary)
scare(dictionary)
scare story(dictionary)
scare 2, noun(dictionary)
scare 1, verb(dictionary)
bomb scare(dictionary)
scare tactics(dictionary)
Scare Card - Poker(gambling)

scare (iou)



scare verb. ME.
[Old Norse skirra frighten, (also) avoid, prevent, refl. shrink from, from skjarr shy, timid.]
verb trans.
a. Frighten, make fearful or afraid. ME.
A. F. Douglas-Home The curtained..four-poster beds had..scared them.
b. Frighten away, drive off. Usu. with away, off, etc. LME.
D. W. Jerrold A chap, with rags on him, not fit to scare birds. Aldous Huxley Flapping his hands at her as though..to scare away some..dangerous animal.
verb intrans. Take fright; be alarmed (at). obsolete exc. Scot. dial. LME.
verb intrans. Be fearful or prone to fear; become frightened, esp. by unsubstantiated rumour etc. E20.
G. Greene He scares easily..any sound..and he's off.
Phrases, & with adverbs in specialized senses: scare out = scare up (a) below. scare rigid: see RIGID adjective. scare stiff: see STIFF adjective. scare the lights out of, scare the liver and lights out of: see LIGHTS. scare the living daylights out of: see DAYLIGHT. scare the PANTS off. scare the shit out of: see SHIT noun. scare up (chiefly N. Amer.) (a) frighten (game) out of cover; (b) colloq. bring to light, discover; procure, rustle up.
Comb.: scare-babe (now rare or obsolete) something to frighten children, a bugbear, a bogey; scare-quotes quotation marks placed round a word or phrase to draw attention to an unusual or arguably inaccurate use.
scarer noun a person who or thing which scares someone or something; spec. (more fully
bird-scarer) a person or thing, other than a scarecrow, for scaring birds from crops etc.: M18.