Warn , v. t. [imp. & p. p. Warned (?);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Warning.]
[OE. warnen,
warnien, AS. warnian, wearnian, to take heed,
to warn; akin to AS.
wearn denial, refusal, OS. warning, wernian, to
refuse, OHG. warnen, G.
warnen to warn, OFries.
warna, werna, Icel. varna to refuse; and probably to E. wary. &?;&?;&?;&?;.]
1. To make ware or
aware; to give previous information to; to give notice to; to
notify; to admonish; hence, to notify or
summon by authority; as, to warn a
town meeting; to warn a
tenant to quit a house. "Warned of the ensuing fight."
Dryden.
Cornelius the centurion . . . was
warned from God by an holy angel to send
for thee.
Acts
x. 22. Who
is it that hath warned us to the walls?
Shak. 2. To give notice to, of approaching or probable danger or evil; to caution against anything that may prove injurious. "Juturna warns the Daunian chief of Lausus' danger, urging swift relief."
Dryden.
3. To ward off. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Warn (w&add;rn),
v. t. [OE.
wernen, AS. weornan, wyrnan. Cf.
Warn to admonish.]
To refuse. [Written also wern, worn.] [Obs.] Chaucer.
Hear it pronounced