warn

name

1. A surname.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English warnen, warnien (“to warn; admonish”), from Old English warnian (“to take heed; warn”), from Proto-Germanic *warnōną (“to warn; take heed”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to be aware; give heed”). Cognate with Dutch waarnen (obsolete), German Low German warnen, German warnen, Swedish varna, Icelandic varna.

1. To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially:

   “We waved a flag to warn the oncoming traffic about the accident.”

   “I phoned to warn him of the road closure.”

2. To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially:

   “I warned him he'd be getting a huge box of birthday presents from me.”

3. To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially:

   “The sheriff warned her to appear in court.”

   “Committee being warned these following were absent or short …”

4. To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially:

   “Hark! the clock is warning ten;”

   “No, not a word more, Andrew; the clock has warned for nine, and I am off.”

5. To caution or admonish (someone) against unwise or unacceptable behaviour.

   “He was warned against crossing the railway tracks at night.”

   “Don't let me catch you running in the corridor again, I warn you.”

6. To advise or order to go or stay away.

   “A sign warns trespassers off/away from the site.”

7. To give warning.

   “then Iames Cephas and Iohn [...] agreed with vs that we shuld preache amonge the Hethen and they amonge the Iewes: warnynge only that we shulde remember the poore.”

   “She is his deepest innocence in spaces of bough and hay before wishes were given a different name to warn that they might not come true [...].”