Definition of "scare"

scare¹

/skɛə/

noun
plural scares
1. A minor fright.
  Quotations
  England were held to a draw after surviving a major scare against Switzerland as they were forced to come from two goals behind to earn a point in the Euro 2012 qualifier at Wembley.
  2011 June 4, Phil McNulty, “England 2 - 2 Switzerland”, in BBC‎
2. A cause of slight terror; something that inspires fear or dread.
3. A device or object used to frighten.
  Quotations
  But I admit the possibility of their being used as "scares" for either birds of prey or snakes, or both.
  1948, Alec H. Chisholm, Bird Wonders of Australia, page 153

scare²

/skɛə/

verb
third-person singular simple present scares, present participle scaring, simple past and past participle scared
1. To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
  Quotations
  That cannot be; the noise of thy crossbow / Will scare the herd, and so my shoot is lost.
  c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene i], lines 6-7
  (Laurel Stevenson) Would you please be quiet? You're scaring the little girl.(Craig Toomey) Scaring the little girl?! Scaring the little girl?! Lady!
  1995, The Langoliers

scare³

/skɛə/

adjective
comparative more scare, superlative most scare
1. lean; scanty