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watch


  5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Watch  \Watch\  (w[o^]ch),  n.  [OE.  wacche  AS  w[ae]cce,  fr 
  wacian  to  wake;  akin  to  D.  wacht,  waak,  G.  wacht,  wache. 
  [root]134.  See  {Wake},  v.  i.  ] 
  1.  The  act  of  watching;  forbearance  of  sleep;  vigil;  wakeful, 
  vigilant,  or  constantly  observant  attention;  close 
  observation;  guard;  preservative  or  preventive  vigilance; 
  formerly,  a  watching  or  guarding  by  night. 
 
  Shepherds  keeping  watch  by  night.  --Milton. 
 
  All  the  long  night  their  mournful  watch  they  keep 
  --Addison. 
 
  Note:  Watch  was  formerly  distinguished  from  ward,  the  former 
  signifying  a  watching  or  guarding  by  night,  and  the 
  latter  a  watching,  guarding,  or  protecting  by  day 
  Hence  they  were  not  unfrequently  used  together, 
  especially  in  the  phrase  to  keep  watch  and  ward,  to 
  denote  continuous  and  uninterrupted  vigilance  or 
  protection,  or  both  watching  and  guarding.  This 
  distinction  is  now  rarely  recognized,  watch  being  used 
  to  signify  a  watching  or  guarding  both  by  night  and  by 
  day  and  ward,  which  is  now  rarely  used  having  simply 
  the  meaning  of  guard,  or  protection,  without  reference 
  to  time. 
 
  Still  when  she  slept,  he  kept  both  watch  and 
  ward.  --Spenser. 
 
  Ward,  guard,  or  custodia,  is  chiefly  applied  to 
  the  daytime,  in  order  to  apprehend  rioters,  and 
  robbers  on  the  highway  .  .  .  Watch,  is  properly 
  applicable  to  the  night  only,  .  .  .  and  it  begins 
  when  ward  ends  and  ends  when  that  begins. 
  --Blackstone. 
 
  2.  One  who  watches,  or  those  who  watch;  a  watchman,  or  a  body 
  of  watchmen;  a  sentry;  a  guard. 
 
  Pilate  said  unto  them  Ye  have  a  watch;  go  your  way 
  make  it  as  sure  as  ye  can.  --Matt.  xxvii. 
  65. 
 
  3.  The  post  or  office  of  a  watchman;  also  the  place  where  a 
  watchman  is  posted,  or  where  a  guard  is  kept. 
 
  He  upbraids  Iago,  that  he  made  him  Brave  me  upon  the 
  watch.  --Shak. 
 
  4.  The  period  of  the  night  during  which  a  person  does  duty  as 
  a  sentinel,  or  guard;  the  time  from  the  placing  of  a 
  sentinel  till  his  relief;  hence  a  division  of  the  night. 
 
  I  did  stand  my  watch  upon  the  hill.  --Shak. 
 
  Might  we  but  hear  .  .  .  Or  whistle  from  the  lodge, 
  or  village  cock  Count  the  night  watches  to  his 
  feathery  dames.  --Milton. 
 
  5.  A  small  timepiece,  or  chronometer,  to  be  carried  about  the 
  person,  the  machinery  of  which  is  moved  by  a  spring. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Watch  \Watch\,  v.  i.  [Cf.  AS  w[oe]ccan,  wacian.  [root]134.  See 
  {Watch},  n.,  {Wake},  v.  i.  ] 
  1.  To  be  awake;  to  be  or  continue  without  sleep;  to  wake;  to 
  keep  vigil. 
 
  I  have  two  nights  watched  with  you  --Shak. 
 
  Couldest  thou  not  watch  one  hour  ?  --Mark  xiv. 
  37. 
 
  2.  To  be  attentive  or  vigilant;  to  give  heed;  to  be  on  the 
  lookout;  to  keep  guard;  to  act  as  sentinel. 
 
  Take  ye  heed,  watch  and  pray.  --Mark  xiii. 
  33. 
 
  The  Son  gave  signal  high  To  the  bright  minister  that 
  watched.  --Milton. 
 
  3.  To  be  expectant;  to  look  with  expectation;  to  wait;  to 
  seek  opportunity. 
 
  My  soul  waiteth  for  the  Lord  more  than  they  that 
  watch  for  the  morning.  --Ps.  cxxx.  6. 
 
  4.  To  remain  awake  with  any  one  as  nurse  or  attendant;  to 
  attend  on  the  sick  during  the  night;  as  to  watch  with  a 
  man  in  a  fever. 
 
  5.  (Naut.)  To  serve  the  purpose  of  a  watchman  by  floating 
  properly  in  its  place  --  said  of  a  buoy. 
 
  {To  watch  over},  to  be  cautiously  observant  of  to  inspect, 
  superintend,  and  guard. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Watch  \Watch\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Watched};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Watching}.] 
  1.  To  give  heed  to  to  observe  the  actions  or  motions  of  for 
  any  purpose;  to  keep  in  view;  not  to  lose  from  sight  and 
  observation;  as  to  watch  the  progress  of  a  bill  in  the 
  legislature. 
 
  Saul  also  sent  messengers  unto  David's  house  to 
  watch  him  and  to  slay  him  --1  Sam.  xix. 
  11 
 
  I  must  cool  a  little,  and  watch  my  opportunity. 
  --Landor. 
 
  In  lazy  mood  I  watched  the  little  circles  die. 
  --Longfellow. 
 
  2.  To  tend;  to  guard;  to  have  in  keeping. 
 
  And  flaming  ministers,  to  watch  and  tend  Their 
  earthy  charge.  --Milton. 
 
  Paris  watched  the  flocks  in  the  groves  of  Ida. 
  --Broome. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Alarm  \A*larm"\  ([.a]*l[aum]rm"),  n.  [F.  alarme,  It  all'  arme 
  to  arms  !  fr  L.  arma,  pl.,  arms.  See  {Arms},  and  cf 
  {Alarum}.] 
  1.  A  summons  to  arms,  as  on  the  approach  of  an  enemy. 
 
  Arming  to  answer  in  a  night  alarm.  --Shak. 
 
  2.  Any  sound  or  information  intended  to  give  notice  of 
  approaching  danger;  a  warning  sound  to  arouse  attention;  a 
  warning  of  danger. 
 
  Sound  an  alarm  in  my  holy  mountain.  --Joel  ii  1. 
 
  3.  A  sudden  attack;  disturbance;  broil.  [R.]  ``These  home 
  alarms.''  --Shak. 
 
  Thy  palace  fill  with  insults  and  alarms.  --Pope. 
 
  4.  Sudden  surprise  with  fear  or  terror  excited  by 
  apprehension  of  danger;  in  the  military  use  commonly, 
  sudden  apprehension  of  being  attacked  by  surprise. 
 
  Alarm  and  resentment  spread  throughout  the  camp. 
  --Macaulay. 
 
  5.  A  mechanical  contrivance  for  awaking  persons  from  sleep, 
  or  rousing  their  attention;  an  alarum. 
 
  {Alarm  bell},  a  bell  that  gives  notice  on  danger. 
 
  {Alarm  clock}  or  {watch},  a  clock  or  watch  which  can  be  so 
  set  as  to  ring  or  strike  loudly  at  a  prearranged  hour,  to 
  wake  from  sleep,  or  excite  attention. 
 
  {Alarm  gauge},  a  contrivance  attached  to  a  steam  boiler  for 
  showing  when  the  pressure  of  steam  is  too  high,  or  the 
  water  in  the  boiler  too  low 
 
  {Alarm  post},  a  place  to  which  troops  are  to  repair  in  case 
  of  an  alarm. 
 
  Syn:  Fright;  affright;  terror;  trepidation;  apprehension; 
  consternation;  dismay;  agitation;  disquiet;  disquietude. 
 
  Usage:  {Alarm},  {Fright},  {Terror},  {Consternation}.  These 
  words  express  different  degrees  of  fear  at  the 
  approach  of  danger.  Fright  is  fear  suddenly  excited, 
  producing  confusion  of  the  senses  and  hence  it  is 
  unreflecting  Alarm  is  the  hurried  agitation  of 
  feeling  which  springs  from  a  sense  of  immediate  and 
  extreme  exposure.  Terror  is  agitating  and  excessive 
  fear,  which  usually  benumbs  the  faculties. 
  Consternation  is  overwhelming  fear,  and  carries  a 
  notion  of  powerlessness  and  amazement.  Alarm  agitates 
  the  feelings;  terror  disorders  the  understanding  and 
  affects  the  will  fright  seizes  on  and  confuses  the 
  sense  consternation  takes  possession  of  the  soul,  and 
  subdues  its  faculties.  See  {Apprehension}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  watch 
  n  1:  a  small  portable  timepiece  [syn:  {ticker}] 
  2:  a  period  of  time  (4  or  2  hours)  during  which  some  of  a 
  ship's  crew  are  on  duty 
  3:  a  purposeful  surveillance  to  guard  or  observe  [syn:  {vigil}] 
  4:  the  period  during  which  someone  (especially  a  guard)  is  on 
  duty 
  5:  a  person  employed  to  watch  for  something  to  happen  [syn:  {lookout}, 
  {lookout  man},  {sentinel},  {sentry},  {scout},  {picket}] 
  6:  a  devotional  watch  (especially  on  the  eve  of  a  religious 
  festival)  [syn:  {vigil}] 
  v  1:  look  attentively;  "watch  a  basketball  game" 
  2:  follow  with  the  eyes  or  the  mind;  "Keep  an  eye  on  the  baby, 
  please!";  "The  world  is  watching  Sarajevo";  "She  followed 
  the  men  with  the  binoculars"  [syn:  {observe},  {follow},  {watch 
  over},  {keep  an  eye  on}] 
  3:  see  or  watch;  "view  a  show  on  television";  "This  program 
  will  be  seen  all  over  the  world";  "view  an  exhibition"; 
  "Catch  a  show  on  Brodaway"  [syn:  {view},  {see},  {catch},  {take 
  in}] 
  4:  observe  with  attention;  "They  watched  as  the  murderer  was 
  executed"  [syn:  {look  on}] 
  5:  be  vigilant,  be  on  the  lookout,  be  on  one's  guard,  be 
  careful;  "Watch  out  for  pickpockets!"  [syn:  {look  out},  {watch 
  out}] 
  6:  check,  try  or  ascertain;  "See  whether  it  works!"  [syn:  {see}] 
  7:  find  out  or  learn  with  certainty;  "I  want  to  see  whether  she 
  speaks  French";  "See  whether  it  works";  "Watch  how  he  will 
  react"  [syn:  {determine},  {check},  {find  out},  {see},  {ascertain}, 
  {learn}] 




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