I.dear, precious, valued, esteemed (pass., freq. and class. in prose and poetry; syn.: dilectus, amatus, acceptus, gratus; opp. vilis, neglectus, contemptus; carum esse; syn. diligi); act., loving, affectionate, Verg. A. 1, 646: “carum ipsum verbum est amoris, ex quo amicitiae nomen est ductum,” Cic. N. D. 1, 44, 122; id. Off. 2, 8, 29; id. Fin. 3, 20, 66; 5, 10, 29: “ego illum scio, quam carus sit cordi meo,” Plaut. Men. 2, 1, 21; id. Ep. 1, 2, 30: “neque meo cordi esse quemquam cariorem,” Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 121: “ut dis inmortalibus cari simus et ab iis diligamur,” Cic. Fin. 3, 20, 66: “dis carus ipsis,” Hor. C. 1, 31, 13: “laeta pax cariores Sabinas viris fecit,” Liv. 1, 13, 6: “populo carus atque jucundus,” Cic. Cat. 4, 6, 11: “patriae,” Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 29; Lucr. 1, 730: “parentes,” id. 3, 85: “cari sunt parentes, cari liberi, propinqui, familiares: sed omnes omnium caritates patria una complexa est,” Cic. Off. 1, 17, 57: mater carissima, Asin. ap. Quint. 9, 2, 34.—So pater, Verg. A. 2, 707; Ov. M. 2, 649: “genitor,” Verg. A. 10, 789; Ov. M. 1, 486: “genitrix,” Verg. A. 1, 689: “nutrix,” id. ib. 4, 634: “conjux,” Ov. M. 11, 727: “Thisbe,” id. ib. 4, 143: “nata,” id. ib. 4, 222: “nepotes,” Cat. 64, 381: “pignora, nati,” Ov. F. 3, 218; “so also pignora, nepotes,” id. M. 3, 134; cf.: “caput nepotis,” Cat. 68, 120: “frater carissimus atque amantissimus,” Cic. Cat. 4, 2, 3: “homines mihi carissimi et amicissimi,” id. de Or. 2, 4, 15: “illa, quam Ego animo Egregie caram habuerim,” Ter. And. 1, 5, 38; so, “carum habere aliquem,” Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 11 fin. (with amare); id. Balb. 26, 59 (with diligere): “omnis suos caros habet, me quidem se ipso cariorem,” id. Att. 10, 11, 1: “parentes carissimos habere,” id. Red. Sen. 1, 2; Nep. Att. 10, 5; Quint. 5, 10, 74: “ex decessu carissimorum,” Sen. Cons. ad Marc. 7, 1: “omnium societatum nulla est carior,” Cic. Off. 1, 17, 57: “patria,” Hor. S. 2, 2, 104: “Athenae,” Cat. 64, 81: “carmina legenti,” Prop. 3 (4), 2, 13. “crines,” id. 1, 17, 21: “simulacra,” Ov. M. 14, 112: “amplexus,” id. ib. 9, 750 et saep.—Prov. uses: “patria mihi vită meă multo est carior,” Cic. Cat. 1, 11, 27; so id. Sest. 20, 45; cf. Cat. 68, 159: “carius oculis,” id. 82, 2; 104, 2; Ov. M. 7, 847 al.—Subst.: cāri mei, my loved ones, Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 29 al.—In a double sense with II., Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 76 sq.; id. Men. 1, 1, 29 sq.; cf.: “hoc est gratum nobisque est carius auro,” Cat. 107, 3.—
II. Prop. (opp. vilis), dear, costly, of a high price: “venio ad macellum, rogito pisces: indicant Caros, agninam caram, caram bubulam, cara omnia,” Plaut. Aul. 2, 8, 3 sq.: “quod ei amorem Carissimum... eum confeci sine sumptu,” Ter. Eun. 5, 4, 5: “quom cara annona sit,” Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 35: “coquos carissimus,” id. Ps. 3, 2, 59.—So annona, Plaut. Stich. 1, 3, 25; Ter. And. 4, 4, 7; (comp.) Cic. Div. 2, 27, 59; (sup.) id. Dom. 6, 14 et saep.: “aurum argentumque caelando carius fecimus (cf. just before: auximus pretia rerum),” Plin. 33, praef. 2, § 4; cf.: “cariora pretia facere,” Just. 16, 4, 19.—With abl. pretii: quod non opus est, asse carum est. Cato ap. Sen. Ep. 94, 28; so, “trecentis,” Plaut. Pers. 4, 4, 118.—Adv. (rare).
A. cārē .
1. Dearly, at a high price: “vēnire,” Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 2; comp., Cic. Dom. 44, 115; Suet. Calig. 27; sup., Sen. Ep. 42, 5.—
2. Highly: carius aestimare, Plancus ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 4, 2.—
B. cārō (acc. to II.), dearly, at a high price, Dig. 19, 1, 13, § 3.