The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Caress \Ca*ress"\ (k[.a]*r[e^]s"), n. [F. caresse, It. carezza,
   LL. caritia dearness, fr. L. carus dear. See Charity.]
   An act of endearment; any act or expression of affection; an
   embracing, or touching, with tenderness.
   [1913 Webster]

         Wooed her with his soft caresses.        --Langfellow.
   [1913 Webster]

         He exerted himself to win by indulgence and caresses
         the hearts of all who were under his command.
                                                  --Macaulay.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Caress \Ca*ress"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Caressed
   (k[.a]*r[e^]st"); p. pr. & vb. n. Caressing.] [F. caresser,
   fr. It. carezzare, fr. carezza caress. See Caress., n.]
   To treat with tokens of fondness, affection, or kindness; to
   touch or speak to in a loving or endearing manner; to fondle.
   [1913 Webster]

         The lady caresses the rough bloodhound.  --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.

   Syn: To fondle; embrace; pet; coddle; court; flatter.

   Usage: Caress, Fondle. "We caress by words or actions; we
          fondle by actions only." --Crabb.
          [1913 Webster] caressing

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

caress
    n 1: a gentle affectionate stroking (or something resembling
         it); "he showered her with caresses"; "soft music was a
         fond caress"; "the caresses of the breeze played over his
         face"
    v 1: touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner;
         "He caressed her face"; "They fondled in the back seat of
         the taxi" [syn: caress, fondle]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

81 Moby Thesaurus words for "caress":
   artful endearments, attouchement, blandishment, blandishments,
   breath, brush, brush by, cocker, coddle, come in contact, contact,
   contingence, coquet, cosset, cuddle, cutaneous sense, dally,
   dandle, embrace, endearment, feel, feel up, feeling,
   fingertip caress, flick, flirt, fondle, fondling, frictionize,
   glance, graze, hand-mindedness, hit, honeyed words, hug, impinge,
   impingement, impingence, indulge, kiss, knead, lambency, lap, lick,
   light touch, love, massage, nose, nudge, nuzzle, osculate,
   osculation, pamper, pat, pet, rub, rub against, rub down,
   rub noses, scrape, sense of touch, shave, sideswipe, skim, skirt,
   soft words, squeak by, stroke, sweet nothings, sweet talk,
   tactile sense, taction, tangency, tap, tentative contact,
   tentative poke, touch, touching, toy, trifle, whisper