scare
Pronunciation: (skâr), [key]
— v., n. scared, scar•ing,
—v.t.
- to fill, esp. suddenly, with fear or terror; frighten; alarm.
—v.i.
- to become frightened: That horse scares easily.
- to obtain with effort; find or gather: to scare up money.
—n.
- a sudden fright or alarm, esp. with little or no reason.
- a time or condition of alarm or worry: For three months there was a war scare.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.