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• ware
  ware

  noun

  Usually wares
• -ware
  -ware

  a combining form extracted from software, occurring as the final element in words that refer to a specified kind or class of software.
• –ware
  –ware

  A suffix that means “software,” as in shareware.

ware

¹ American  

[wair] / wɛər /

noun

1. Usually wares

   1. articles of merchandise or manufacture; goods.

      a peddler selling his wares.

   2. any intangible items, as services or products of artistic or intellectual creativity, that are saleable.

      an actor advertising his wares.

2. a specified kind or class of merchandise or of manufactured article (usually used in combination).

   silverware;

   glassware.

3. pottery, or a particular kind of pottery.

   delft ware.

4. Archaeology. a group of ceramic types classified according to paste and texture, surface modification, as burnish or glaze, and decorative motifs rather than shape and color.

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ware ² American  

[wair] / wɛər /

adjective

1. watchful, wary, or cautious.

2. aware; conscious.

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verb (used with object)

wared, waring

1. to beware of (usually used in the imperative).

ware ³ American  

[wair] / wɛər /

verb (used with object)

Scot. and North England.

wared, waring

1. to spend; expend.

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ware ⁴ American  

[wair] / wɛər /

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. the first season in the year; spring.

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-ware ⁵ American  

1. a combining form extracted from software, occurring as the final element in words that refer to a specified kind or class of software.

   spyware;

   shareware.

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ware ¹ British  

/ wɛə /

verb

1. another word for beware

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adjective

1. another word for wary wise 1

ware ² British  

/ wɛə /

verb

1. dialect (tr) to spend or squander

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ware ³ British  

/ wɛə /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) articles of the same kind or material

   glassware

   silverware

2. porcelain or pottery of a specified type

   agateware

   jasper ware

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–ware Scientific  

1. A suffix that means “software,” as in shareware.

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Usage

What does -ware mean? The combining form -ware is used like a suffix meaning “software,” a program used to direct a computer. It is occasionally used in technical terms, especially in computer science. The form -ware comes from the word software. The word software itself was coined around 1955 to contrast with hardware, a much older term used to refer to mechanical equipment. Learn more at our entry for hardware.

Etymology

Origin of ware¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English waru; cognate with German Ware

Origin of ware²

First recorded before 900; Middle English adjective; Old English adjective wær; cognate with German gewahr “aware,” Old Norse varr “aware”

Origin of ware³

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old Norse verja “to spend, invest”

Origin of ware⁴

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old Norse vār “spring”; perhaps akin to Latin vēr, Greek éar “spring”; see vernal

Explanation

Ware is a particular type of item — luster ware is a kind of ceramic with a shiny metallic finish. Fiesta ware is a brand of colorful tabletop china that first became popular in the 1930s. The word shows up as a suffix, too — software, silverware, dinnerware — where it means articles of the same type or within the same category. A warehouse is a place where goods or raw materials are stored. When the word's plural, it means merchandise — when you display your wares in your shop, you're showing what you've got for sale.

Example Sentences

She and partner Martin Ware cast a wide net throughout the UK, seeing thousands of kids in their initial search before bringing in scores of boys to read.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

Gold, Ware and Munden remained flexible in their search.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

Gorka’s long-awaited strategy, Clarke and Ware said in an op-ed, could help clarify White House thinking on how to handle threats when “defenses are divided, disorganized and under-resourced.”

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

Ms. Ware has cited Donna Summer and Chaka Khan as inspirations, and her voice’s combination of power and warmth puts her in league with such legends.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Mr. Ware used a transporter to get to my interview, I remember.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

Related Words

• commodity
• fabric
• merchandise
• textile