# cauto
## Italian
### Etymology

From Latin cautus, derived from caveō (“to beware, avoid”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkaw.to/
* Rhymes: -awto
* Hyphenation: càu‧to

### Adjective

cauto (feminine cauta, masculine plural cauti, feminine plural caute)
* prudent, cautious, sly
    Synonyms: accorto, attento, circospetto, guardingo, prudente
    Antonyms: arrischiato, avventato, azzardato, imprudente, incauto, inconsulto, sconsiderato
** 1300s–1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XVI”, in Inferno [Hell]‎, lines 118–120; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate]‎, 2nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:Ahi quanto cauti li uomini esser dienno presso a color che non veggion pur l'ovra, ma per entro i pensier miran col senno!Ah me! how very cautious men should be with those who not alone behold the act, but with their wisdom look into the thoughts!
** 1349–1353, Giovanni Boccaccio, “Giornata quarta – Novella terza”, in Decameron; republished as Aldo Francesco Massera, editor, Il Decameron‎, Bari: Laterza, 1927:La Maddalena, […] per un cauto ambasciadore gli significò, sé essere presta ad ogni suo comandamentoMaddalena signified to him by a prudent messenger that she was at his commandment in everything
** 1825, “Libro XXIII [Book 23]”, in Vincenzo Monti, transl., Iliade [Iliad]‎, Milan: Giovanni Resnati e Gius. Bernardoni di Gio, translation of Ῑ̓λιάς (Īliás) by Homer, published 1840, page 496, lines 450–453:[…] infranto N'andrebbe il carro, offesi i corridori, E tu deriso e di disnor coperto. Sii dunque saggio e cauto.The chariot would be destroyed, the racers hurt, and you mocked and dishonoured/dishonored. Be therefore wise and cautious.
** 1835, Giacomo Leopardi with Alessandro Donati, “V. A un vincitore nel pallone”, in Canti‎, Bari: Einaudi, published 1917, page 26, lines 43–46:[…] pochi Soli forse fien vòlti, e le cittá latine abiterá la cauta volpe, e l’atro bosco mormorerá fra le alte muraperhaps only a few suns will turn, and the sly fox will inhabit Latin cities, and the dark woods’ murmuring surround the high walls

#### Derived terms

* cautamente

### Anagrams

* acuto

## Latin
### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈkau̯.toː/, [ˈkäu̯t̪oː]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈkau̯.to/, [ˈkäːu̯t̪o]

### Noun

cautō
* dative/ablative singular of cautum

## Portuguese
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin cautus, past participle of cavēre. Doublet of couto.

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈkaw.tu/ [ˈkaʊ̯.tu]
* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈkaw.tu/ [ˈkaʊ̯.tu]
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /ˈkaw.to/ [ˈkaʊ̯.to]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈkaw.tu/
* Rhymes: -awtu
* Hyphenation: cau‧to

### Adjective

cauto (feminine cauta, masculine plural cautos, feminine plural cautas)
* cautious
    Synonyms: cauteloso, prudente

#### Related terms

* incauto
* acautelado

### References

* ↑ “cauto”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
* ↑ “cauto”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Spanish
### Etymology

From Latin cautus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkauto/ [ˈkau̯.t̪o]
* Rhymes: -auto
* Syllabification: cau‧to

### Adjective

cauto (feminine cauta, masculine plural cautos, feminine plural cautas)
* cautious
    Synonym: cauteloso

#### Related terms

* acotar
* cautela
* cauteloso
* coto
* incautar
* incauto

### Further reading

* “cauto”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10