Adjacent Words

Caress definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CARESS, v.t. To treat with fondness, affection, or kindness; to fondle; to embrace with tender affection; as a parent a child.
CARESS, n. An act of endearment; any act or expression of affection; an embracing with tenderness; as conjugal caresses.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a gentle affectionate stroking (or something resembling it); "he showered her with caresses"; "soft music was a fond caress"; "the caresses of the breeze played over his face" v
1: touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner; "He caressed her face"; "They fondled in the back seat of the taxi" [syn: caress, fondle]

Merriam Webster's

I. transitive verb Etymology: French caresser, from Italian carezzare, from carezza Date: 1598 1. to treat with tokens of fondness, affection, or kindness ; cherish 2. a. to touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner b. to touch or affect as if with a caress <echoes that caress the ear> • caresser noun • caressingly adverb II. noun Etymology: French caresse, from Italian carezza, from caro dear, from Latin carus — more at charity Date: 1609 1. an act or expression of kindness or affection ; endearment 2. a. a light stroking, rubbing, or patting b. kiss • caressive adjective • caressively adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v.tr. 1 touch or stroke gently or lovingly; kiss. 2 treat fondly or kindly. --n. a loving or gentle touch or kiss. Etymology: F caresse (n.), caresser (v.), f. It. carezza ult. f. L carus dear

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Caress Ca*ress", n. [F. caresse, It. carezza, LL. caritia dearness, fr. L. carus dear. See Charity.] An act of endearment; any act or expression of affection; an embracing, or touching, with tenderness. Wooed her with his soft caresses. --Langfellow. He exerted himself to win by indulgence and caresses the hearts of all who were under his command. --Macaulay.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Caress Ca*ress", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Caressed; p. pr. & vb. n. Caressing.] [F. caresser, fr. It. carezzare, fr. carezza caress. See Caress., n.] To treat with tokens of fondness, affection, or kindness; to touch or speak to in a loving or endearing manner; to fondle. The lady caresses the rough bloodhoun. --Sir W. Scott. Syn: To foundle; embrace; pet; coddle; court; flatter. Usage: Caress, Fondle. ``We caress by words or actions; we fondle by actions only.'' --Crabb.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(caresses, caressing, caressed) If you caress someone, you stroke them gently and affectionately. (WRITTEN) He was gently caressing her golden hair. = stroke VERB: V n • Caress is also a noun. Margaret took me to one side, holding my arm in a gentle caress. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. Fondle, embrace, hug, pet, kiss, coddle, cosset, treat with fondness. II. n. Embrace, kiss, expression of affection.

Moby Thesaurus

artful endearments, attouchement, blandishment, blandishments, breath, brush, brush by, cocker, coddle, come in contact, contact, contingence, coquet, cosset, cuddle, cutaneous sense, dally, dandle, embrace, endearment, feel, feel up, feeling, fingertip caress, flick, flirt, fondle, fondling, frictionize, glance, graze, hand-mindedness, hit, honeyed words, hug, impinge, impingement, impingence, indulge, kiss, knead, lambency, lap, lick, light touch, love, massage, nose, nudge, nuzzle, osculate, osculation, pamper, pat, pet, rub, rub against, rub down, rub noses, scrape, sense of touch, shave, sideswipe, skim, skirt, soft words, squeak by, stroke, sweet nothings, sweet talk, tactile sense, taction, tangency, tap, tentative contact, tentative poke, touch, touching, toy, trifle, whisper