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char·y

(chârē)

adj. char·i·er, char·i·est

1. Very cautious; wary: was chary of the risks involved.

2. Not giving or expending freely; sparing: was chary of compliments.

[Middle English chari, careful, sorrowful, from Old English cearig, sorrowful, from cearu, sorrow; see CARE.]

chari·ly adv.

chari·ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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