Lewis & Short

1. cārus (not chārus; in Inscrr. often kārus, Inscr. Orell. 1175; 2417 al.), a, um, adj. [Sanscr. kan, to be beloved; kāru, agreeable],

  1. 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.
  2. 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).
    1. A. cārē.
      1. 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. 2. Highly: carius aestimare, Plancus ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 4, 2.
    2. B. cārō (acc. to II.), dearly, at a high price, Dig. 19, 1, 13, § 3.