Dare — Defs

01 v. i. To have adequate or sufficient courage for any purpose; to be bold or venturesome; not to be afraid; to venture.

imp. Durst; p. p. Dared; p. pr. & vb. n. Daring

1.
To have adequate or sufficient courage for any purpose; to be bold or venturesome; not to be afraid; to venture.
“I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none.” — Shak.

“Why then did not the ministers use their new law? Bacause they durst not, because they could not.” — Macaulay.

“Who dared to sully her sweet love with suspicion.” — Thackeray.

“The tie of party was stronger than the tie of blood, because a partisan was more ready to dare without asking why.” — Jowett (Thu�yd.).

“The pore dar plede (the poor man dare plead).” — P. Plowman.

“You know one dare not discover you.” — Dryden.

“The fellow dares not deceive me.” — Shak.

“Here boldly spread thy hands, no venom'd weed Dares blister them, no slimy snail dare creep.” — Beau. & Fl.

02 v. t. To have courage for; to attempt courageously; to venture to do or to undertake.

imp. & p. p. Dared; p. pr. & vb. n. Daring

1.
To have courage for; to attempt courageously; to venture to do or to undertake.
“What high concentration of steady feeling makes men dare every thing and do anything?” — Bagehot.

“To wrest it from barbarism, to dare its solitudes.” — The Century.
2.
To challenge; to provoke; to defy.
“Time, I dare thee to discover Such a youth and such a lover.” — Dryden.

03 n. The quality of daring; venturesomeness; boldness; dash.

1.
The quality of daring; venturesomeness; boldness; dash.[R.]
“It lends a luster . . . A large dare to our great enterprise.” — Shak.
2.
Defiance; challenge.
“Childish, unworthy dares Are not enought to part our powers.” — Chapman.

“Sextus Pompeius Hath given the dare to Cæsar.” — Shak.

04 v. i. To lurk; to lie hid.

1.
To lurk; to lie hid.[Obs.]

05 v. t. To terrify; to daunt.

1.
To terrify; to daunt.[Obs.]
“For I have done those follies, those mad mischiefs, Would dare a woman.” — Beau. & Fl.

Phrases & compounds

To dare larks — to catch them by producing terror through to use of mirrors, scarlet cloth, a hawk, etc., so that they lie still till a net is thrown over them.

06 n. A small fish; the dace.

1.
A small fish; the dace.(Zool.)