scare

[skair] /skɛər/
verb (used with object), scared, scaring.
1.
to fill, especially suddenly, with fear or terror; frighten; alarm.
verb (used without object), scared, scaring.
2.
to become frightened:
That horse scares easily.
noun
3.
a sudden fright or alarm, especially with little or no reason.
4.
a time or condition of alarm or worry:
For three months there was a war scare.
Verb phrases
5.
scare up, Informal. to obtain with effort; find or gather:
to scare up money.
Origin
1150-1200; (v.) Middle English skerren < Old Norse skirra to frighten, derivative of skjarr timid, shy; (noun) late Middle English skere, derivative of the v.
Related forms
scarer, noun
scaringly, adverb
unscared, adjective
Synonyms
1. startle, intimidate. See frighten.
British Dictionary definitions for scare up

scare

/skɛə/
verb
1.
to fill or be filled with fear or alarm
2.
(transitive; often foll by away or off) to drive (away) by frightening
3.
(transitive) (US & Canadian, informal) (foll by up)
  1. to produce (a meal) quickly from whatever is available
  2. to manage to find (something) quickly or with difficulty: brewers need to scare up more sales
noun
4.
a sudden attack of fear or alarm
5.
a period of general fear or alarm
adjective
6.
causing (needless) fear or alarm: a scare story
Derived Forms
scarer, noun
Word Origin
C12: from Old Norse skirra; related to Norwegian skjerra, Swedish dialect skjarra
Word Origin and History for scare up

scare

v.

1590s, alteration of Middle English skerren (c.1200), from Old Norse skirra "to frighten; to shrink from, shun; to prevent, avert," related to skjarr "timid, shy, afraid of," of unknown origin. In Scottish also skair, skar, and in dialectal English skeer, skear, which seems to preserve the older pronunciation. To scare up "procure, obtain" is first recorded 1846, American English, from notion of rousing game from cover. Related: Scared; scaring.

n.

"something that frightens; sudden panic, sudden terror inspired by a trifling cause, false alarm," 1520s, alteration of Middle English sker "fear, dread" (c.1400), from scare (v.). Scare tactic attested from 1948.

Slang definitions & phrases for scare up

scare up

verb phrase

To find and produce; rustle: was among the goodies scared up at a flea market

[1853+; fr the rising or starting of wildlife, which sense is found by 1846]


Idioms and Phrases with scare up

scare up

Also, scrape together or up . Assemble or produce with considerable effort, as in We managed to scare up extra chairs for the unexpectedly large audience , or He managed to scrape together enough cash to buy two more tickets . The first term alludes to scare in the sense of “flush game out of cover” and dates from the mid-1800s; the variant, alluding to scratching or clawing for something, was first recorded in 1549. Also see scrape up an acquaintance

scare

also see:
run scared