caress

From French caresse, from Italian carezza (“dear”), from Latin cārus (“dear”), from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂-, akin to Sanskrit काम (kāma, “love”). Doublet of karezza.

• IPA^(key): /kəˈɹɛs/

  • Audio (Southern England):

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• Rhymes: -ɛs

caress (plural caresses)

1. An act of endearment; any act or expression of affection; an embracing, or touching, with tenderness. [from 1640s]
   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XVII, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:

     He exerted himself to win by indulgence and caresses the hearts of all who were under his command.

   • 1855 November 10, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Four Winds”, in The Song of Hiawatha, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 26:

     And he wooed her with his soft caresses, / Wooed her with his smile of sunshine, […]

2. A gentle stroking or rubbing.

caress (third-person singular simple present caresses, present participle caressing, simple past and past participle caressed)

1. (transitive) To touch or kiss lovingly; to fondle.

   Synonyms: hold, soothe, stroke, kiss; see also Thesaurus:fondle, Thesaurus:kiss

   She loves being caressed by her boyfriend.

   • 1858, J. S. Rarey, The Art Of Taming Horses‎^[1], G. Routledge, →OCLC, →OL, page 13:

     The Guacho then goes up to him, caresses him, removes the poncho from his eyes, continues to caress him; so that, according to the notion of the country, the horse becomes [...]

   • 1892, C. L. Edwards, Prof. C. L. Edwards' Progressive, Illustrated Horsemanship And Pratical Management Of Horses‎^[2], page 87:

     He very likely will take a step or two in your direction. Caress him and repeat. Soon commence to snap the finger, at the same time touch him with the whip, and he will follow readily. Now takea longer bow top whip, get a little ways off and snap the finger. If he comes, caress him and repeat. Every time he comes to you, caress him and let him stand; do not drive him away.

2. (transitive) To affect as if with a caress.
   • 2012, Mel Berry, Graceful Intentions, page 1:

     The love and anguish in his voice caressed my mind and soul.

• Crases, SERCAs, carses, casers, crases, sacres, scares, seracs, séracs