To frighten or worry someone; to become frightened.
From Old Norse skirra meaning to flee or run away. The word originally described the frightened fleeing motion, then extended to mean causing that frightening feeling.
Interestingly, 'scare' comes from a word meaning to run away, so it literally connects fear to fleeing—your body has always known that fear means it's time to move, which is why we still jump and run from scares today.
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