Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - care

(cares, caring, cared) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If you care about something, you feel that it is important and are concerned about it. ...a company that cares about the environment. ...young men who did not care whether they lived or died... Does anybody know we’re here, does anybody care? VERB: no cont, V about n, V wh, V 2. If you care for someone, you feel a lot of affection for them. He wanted me to know that he still cared for me. ...people who are your friends, who care about you. VERB: no cont, V for/about n, V for/about n, also V c darkgreen]approval • caring ...the ‘feminine’ traits of caring and compassion. N-UNCOUNT 3. If you care for someone or something, you look after them and keep them in a good state or condition. They hired a nurse to care for her. ...these distinctive cars, lovingly cared for by private owners. ...well-cared-for homes. VERB: V for n, V for n, V-ed • Care is also a noun. Most of the staff specialise in the care of children. ...sensitive teeth which need special care... She denied the murder of four children who were in her care. N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp 4. Children who are in care are looked after by the state because their parents are dead or unable to look after them properly. (BRIT) ...a home for children in care... She was taken into care as a baby. N-UNCOUNT: oft in N 5. If you say that you do not care for something or someone, you mean that you do not like them. (OLD-FASHIONED) She had met both sons and did not care for either. VERB: no cont, with brd-neg, V for n 6. If you say that someone does something when they care to do it, you mean that they do it, although they should do it more willingly or more often. The woman tells anyone who cares to listen that she’s going through hell... Experts reveal only as much as they care to. = choose VERB: no cont, V to-inf, V to-inf 7. You can ask someone if they would care for something or if they would care to do something as a polite way of asking if they would like to have or do something. Would you care for some orange juice?... He said he was off to the beach and would we care to join him. = like VERB: no cont, V for n, V to-inf c darkgreen]politeness 8. If you do something with care, you give careful attention to it because you do not want to make any mistakes or cause any damage. Condoms are an effective method of birth control if used with care... We’d taken enormous care in choosing the location. N-UNCOUNT: oft with N 9. Your cares are your worries, anxieties, or fears. Lean back in a hot bath and forget all the cares of the day... Johnson seemed without a care in the world. = worry N-COUNT 10. see also caring, aftercare, day care, intensive care 11. You can use for all I care to emphasize that it does not matter at all to you what someone does. You can go right now for all I care. PHRASE: V inflects, PHR with cl c darkgreen]emphasis 12. If you say that you couldn’t care less about someone or something, you are emphasizing that you are not interested in them or worried about them. In American English, you can also say that you could care less, with the same meaning. I couldn’t care less about the bloody woman... I used to be proud working for them; now I could care less. I’m just out here for the money... PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR about n c darkgreen]emphasis 13. If someone sends you a letter or parcel care of a particular person or place, they send it to that person or place, and it is then passed on to you. In American English, you can also say in care of. Please write to me care of the publishers... PHRASE: PHR n 14. If you take care of someone or something, you look after them and prevent them from being harmed or damaged. There was no one else to take care of their children... You have to learn to take care of your possessions. = look after PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n 15. You can say ‘Take care’ when saying goodbye to someone. CONVENTION c darkgreen]formulae 16. If you take care to do something, you make sure that you do it. Foley followed Albert through the gate, taking care to close the latch. PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR to-inf 17. To take care of a problem, task, or situation means to deal with it. They leave it to the system to try and take care of the problem... ‘Do you need clean sheets?’—‘No. Mrs. May took care of that.’ = deal with PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n 18. You can say ‘Who cares?’ to emphasize that something does not matter to you at all. ‘But we might ruin the stove.’—‘Who cares?’ PHRASE: oft PHR about n c darkgreen]emphasis CARE GIVER see caregiver