CARE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does care mean? 

• CARE (noun)
  The noun CARE has 6 senses:

1. the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

2. judiciousness in avoiding harm or danger

3. an anxious feeling

4. a cause for feeling concern

5. attention and management implying responsibility for safety

6. activity involved in maintaining something in good working order

  Familiarity information: CARE used as a noun is common.

• CARE (verb)
  The verb CARE has 5 senses:

1. feel concern or interest

2. provide care for

3. prefer or wish to do something

4. be in charge of, act on, or dispose of

5. be concerned with

  Familiarity information: CARE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CARE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

aid; attention; care; tending

Context example:

the old car needs constant attention

Hypernyms ("care" is a kind of...):

work (activity directed toward making or doing something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "care"):

health care; healthcare (the preservation of mental and physical health by preventing or treating illness through services offered by the health profession)

tree surgery (treatment of damaged or decaying trees)

faith cure; faith healing (care provided through prayer and faith in God)

skin care; skincare (care for the skin)

personal care (care for someone who is disabled or is otherwise unable to care for themselves; can including bathing and cooking and managing bodily functions)

nurturance (physical and emotional care and nourishment)

tender loving care; TLC (considerate and solicitous care)

nursing (the work of caring for the sick or injured or infirm)

nourishment (the act of nourishing)

pedicure (professional care for the feet and toenails)

livery (the care (feeding and stabling) of horses for pay)

incubation (maintaining something at the most favorable temperature for its development)

intervention; treatment (care provided to improve a situation (especially medical procedures or applications that are intended to relieve illness or injury))

first aid (emergency care given before regular medical aid can be obtained)

dental care (care for the teeth)

pet sitting (the work of a pet sitter; caring for pets in their own home while their owners are away from home)

baby sitting; babysitting (the work of a baby sitter; caring for children when their parents are not home)

maternalism (motherly care; behavior characteristic of a mother; the practice of acting as a mother does toward her children)

hair care; haircare; hairdressing (care for the hair: the activity of washing or cutting or curling or arranging the hair)

manicure (professional care for the hands and fingernails)

Derivation:

care (provide care for)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Judiciousness in avoiding harm or danger

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

care; caution; forethought; precaution

Context example:

he handled the vase with care

Hypernyms ("care" is a kind of...):

judiciousness (good judgment)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An anxious feeling

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

care; concern; fear

Context example:

they hushed it up out of fear of public reaction

Hypernyms ("care" is a kind of...):

anxiety (a vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune)

Derivation:

care (be concerned with)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A cause for feeling concern

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Context example:

his major care was the illness of his wife

Hypernyms ("care" is a kind of...):

plight; predicament; quandary (a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one)

Derivation:

care (be concerned with)

care (feel concern or interest)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Attention and management implying responsibility for safety

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

care; charge; guardianship; tutelage

Context example:

he is in the care of a bodyguard

Hypernyms ("care" is a kind of...):

protection (the activity of protecting someone or something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "care"):

great care (more attention and consideration than is normally bestowed by prudent persons)

slight care (such care as a careless or inattentive person would exercise)

providence (the guardianship and control exercised by a deity)

foster care (supervised care for delinquent or neglected children usually in an institution or substitute home)

due care; ordinary care; reasonable care (the care that a reasonable man would exercise under the circumstances; the standard for determining legal duty)

Derivation:

care (be in charge of, act on, or dispose of)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Activity involved in maintaining something in good working order

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

care; maintenance; upkeep

Context example:

he wrote the manual on car care

Hypernyms ("care" is a kind of...):

fix; fixing; fixture; mend; mending; repair; reparation (the act of putting something in working order again)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "care"):

car care (keeping a car in good working order)

inspection and repair; overhaul; service (periodic maintenance on a car or machine)

pump priming (introducing water into a pump to improve the seal and start the water flowing)

scheduled maintenance (maintenance at a regularly scheduled time)

steam fitting (care (installation and maintenance) of equipment for ventilating or heating or refrigerating)

camera care (keeping a camera in good working order)

• CARE (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Feel concern or interest

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

I don't care

Hypernyms (to "care" is one way to...):

compassionate; condole with; feel for; pity; sympathize with (share the suffering of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue care

Also:

care (provide care for)

care for (be fond of; be attached to)

Derivation:

care (a cause for feeling concern)

caring (a loving feeling)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Provide care for

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

care; give care

Context example:

The nurse was caring for the wounded

Hypernyms (to "care" is one way to...):

aid; assist; help (give help or assistance; be of service)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "care"):

dry-nurse (take care of an infant without breastfeeding it)

attend; look; see; take care (take charge of or deal with)

fuss; mother; overprotect (care for like a mother)

nurse (serve as a nurse; care for sick or handicapped people)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

care (the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Prefer or wish to do something

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

care; like; wish

Context example:

Would you like to come along to the movies?

Hypernyms (to "care" is one way to...):

desire; want (feel or have a desire for; want strongly)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "care"):

please (be the will of or have the will (to))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They care to move

Sense 4

Meaning:

Be in charge of, act on, or dispose of

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

care; deal; handle; manage

Context example:

She managed her parents' affairs after they got too old

Hypernyms (to "care" is one way to...):

command; control (exercise authoritative control or power over)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "care"):

administer; administrate (work in an administrative capacity; supervise or be in charge of)

touch (deal with; usually used with a form of negation)

carry on; conduct; deal (direct the course of; manage or control)

direct (be in charge of)

misconduct; mishandle; mismanage (manage badly or incompetently)

process (deal with in a routine way)

juggle (deal with simultaneously)

coordinate (bring into common action, movement, or condition)

mind; take care (be in charge of or deal with)

dispose of (deal with or settle)

come to grips; get to grips (deal with (a problem or a subject))

work (cause to operate or function)

organise; organize (cause to be structured or ordered or operating according to some principle or idea)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

care (attention and management implying responsibility for safety)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Be concerned with

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

care; worry

Context example:

I worry about my grades

Hypernyms (to "care" is one way to...):

mind (be concerned with or about something or somebody)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "care"):

brood; dwell (think moodily or anxiously about something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

care (a cause for feeling concern)

care (an anxious feeling)

 Context examples 

Advanced practice nurses make independent and collaborative health care decisions.

(Advanced practice nurse, NCI Thesaurus)

But of Leach’s behaviour—By the time I had finished cleansing the cabin he had taken care of Johnson.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I do hope the dear fellow will take care of himself, and that nothing will occur to upset him.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Differences in the health of groups can result from: • Genetics • Environmental factors • Access to care • Cultural factors

(African American Health, NIH)

Also called: Postoperative care, Recovery from surgery

(After Surgery, Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research)

Start by talking to your health care provider.

(Alcoholism, NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

They are used in skin care products to reduce wrinkles and soften the skin.

(AHA, NCI Dictionary)

It was thought he cared a great deal for his wife.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

“At least,” said I as we heard her quick, firm steps descending the stairs, “she seems to be a young lady who is very well able to take care of herself.”

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A subdiscipline of nursing focusing on general and comprehensive nursing care directed to adults.

(Adult Health Nursing, NCI Thesaurus)