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warding |
1 definition found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Ward \Ward\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Warded}; p. pr & vb n. {Warding}.] [OE. wardien, AS weardian to keep protect; akin to OS ward?n to watch, take care OFries wardia, OHG. wart?n, G. warten to wait, wait on attend to Icel. var?a to guarantee defend, Sw v[*a]rda to guard, to watch; cf OF warder, of German origin. See {Ward}, n., and cf {Award}, {Guard}, {Reward}.] 1. To keep in safety; to watch; to guard; formerly, in a specific sense to guard during the day time. Whose gates he found fast shut, no living wight To ward the same --Spenser. 2. To defend; to protect. Tell him it was a hand that warded him From thousand dangers. --Shak. 3. To defend by walls, fortifications, etc [Obs.] 4. To fend off to repel; to turn aside, as anything mischievous that approaches; -- usually followed by off Now wards a felling blow, now strikes again --Daniel. The pointed javelin warded off his rage. --Addison. It instructs the scholar in the various methods of warding off the force of objections. --I. Watts.
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