Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Careful forethought to avoid danger or harm.
  • noun Close attention or vigilance to minimize risk.
  • noun Prudence or restraint in action or decision.
  • noun A warning or admonishment, especially to take heed.
  • noun A cautious action; a precaution.
  • noun Informal One that is striking or alarming.
  • intransitive verb To warn or admonish.
  • intransitive verb To give a warning or admonishment.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To give notice of danger to; warn; exhort to take heed.
  • noun Prudence in regard to danger; wariness, consisting in a careful attention to probable and possible results, and a judicious course of conduct to avoid failure or disaster.
  • noun Anything intended or serving to induce wariness; a warning given either by word of mouth or in any other way; monitory advice.
  • noun Provision or security against something; provident care; precaution.
  • noun In recent Eng. law, a written warning or caveat filed with the registrar of land-titles against dealings with the land without notice to the cautioner, or person who files the warning.
  • noun Security; guaranty; pledge; bail.
  • noun A person who gives security; a surety; a cautioner.
  • noun Bond; bill.
  • noun Something to excite alarm or astonishment; something extraordinary: absolutely or with some fanciful addition: as, the way they scattered was a caution to snakes.
  • noun Admonition.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To give notice of danger to; to warn; to exhort [one] to take heed.
  • noun A careful attention to the probable effects of an act, in order that failure or harm may be avoided; prudence in regard to danger; provident care; wariness.
  • noun rare Security; guaranty; bail.
  • noun Precept or warning against evil of any kind; exhortation to wariness; advice; injunction.
  • noun (Civil & Scots Law) A pledge, bond, or other security for the performance of an obligation either in or out of judicial proceedings; the promise or contract of one not for himself but another; security.
  • noun money deposited by way of security or guaranty, as by a student at an English university.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Precept or warning against evil or danger of any kind; exhortation to wariness; advice; injunction.
  • noun A careful attention to the probable effects of an act, in order that failure or harm may be avoided; prudence in regard to danger; provident care; wariness.
  • noun Security; guaranty; bail.
  • noun One who gives rise to attention or astonishment.
  • noun A formal warning given as an alternative to prosecution in minor cases.
  • verb transitive To warn; to alert, advise that caution is warranted.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb warn strongly; put on guard
  • noun judiciousness in avoiding harm or danger
  • noun the trait of being cautious; being attentive to possible danger
  • noun the trait of being circumspect and prudent
  • noun a warning against certain acts

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English caucioun, from Old French caution, from Latin cautiō, cautiōn-, from cautus, past participle of cavēre, to take care.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Recorded since 1297, "bail, guarantee, pledge", from Old French "security, surety" itself from Latin cautio, from cautus, the past participle of cavere "to be on one's guard"

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