Caress Comes From the Latin for Dear
A caress is a gentle touch of affection. Its root is the word for dear, which also gives us charity and cherish.
A caress is a gentle, affectionate touch. The Latin *carus*, dear, sits underneath it and underneath a surprising family: *cherish*, *charity* and *caring* all come from words meaning precious or beloved. A caress is, etymologically, an act of treating someone as dear.
- A gentle touch. *A light caress.*
- To touch gently. *He caressed her hand.*
- To brush against. *The breeze caressed the water.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | caress | A soft caress. |
| Plural | caresses | Gentle caresses. |
| Verb | caress | Caress the fabric. |
| Past | caressed | She caressed it. |
| Related | cherish | Cherish the memory. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He caressed the dog's ears.Affectionate touch.
- The light caressed the stone.Figurative and literary.
- A caress is gentler than a stroke.Register matters.
Words from *carus*, dear
- Cherish — to hold dear
- Charity — from *caritas*, love or dearness
- Caress — to treat as dear
- Caro — Italian for dear, used in address
- Charitable — generous, from the same root
From French *caresse*, from Italian *carezza*, from Latin *carus*, dear. It entered English in the seventeenth century.
Are charity and caress related?
Yes. Both descend from Latin *carus*, dear, through *caritas* and *carezza* respectively.
Caress or stroke?
Caress implies tenderness and slowness. Stroke is neutral and can be purely practical.