reck

Reck is an archaic English verb meaning to care for, heed, or regard; to take into account; or to count and consider. In older usage, it could also convey senses related to thinking, remembering, or being mindful of something. The form is closely related to the modern verb reckon, with both sharing a common root in English linguistic history.

Historical usage and context: Reck appears in Early Modern English and earlier literary and religious prose, as well as in regional dialects of northern England and Scotland. In contemporary standard English, the standalone verb reck is rarely used outside historical or dialect contexts, with speakers more likely to use care, heed, regard, or reckon depending on context.

Modern relevance and limitations: The word survives primarily for philological or stylistic purposes and in discussions of older texts. Its meaning lives on in related forms and phrases, especially in idioms built around its cousin reckon, such as reckon with (to confront or deal with). Outside scholarly or literary contexts, reck as a standalone verb is largely obsolete in everyday speech.

See also: reckon, reckoning, care, heed, regard.