Be-ware'1, v. i.
[be and ware. A-S. bewarian, D. bewaren, Dan. bevare, Sw. bevara, Ger. bewahren. See WARE, WARY.] 1. To restrain or guard one’s self; hence, to be cautious; to take care; to take heed; — followed by of before the thing that is to be avoided. Beware of all, but most beware of man. Pope. 2. To have a special regard. [Rare.] Behold, I send an angel before thee, . . . beware of him, and obey his voice. Ex. xxiii. 20, 21. This word is a compound from be and the Old English ware, now wary, which is an adjective. It is used, like be when alone, only in the imperative and infinitive modes, and with such auxiliaries shall, should, must, &c., as go with the infinitive. Ben Jonson, however, uses the word in the indicative present (“. . . bewares to act”), and Dryden uses the past participle bewared. But, in present usage, the word suffers no inflection, and is employed only as stated above. “Be ye war of false prophets.” Wycliffe, Matt. vii. 15. “Every one ought to be very careful to beware what he admits for a principle.” Locke.—“Plato told to Dion that of all things in the world he should beware of that folly, by which men please themselves and despise a better judgment.” Bp. Taylor.