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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Watch \Watch\ (w[o^]ch), noun [OE. wacche, AS. w[ae]cce, fr. wacian to wake; akin to D. wacht, waak, G. wacht, wache. [root]134. See {Wake}, verb (used without an object) ]
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.
Note: Watches are often distinguished by the kind of escapement used, as an {anchor watch}, a {lever watch}, a {chronometer watch}, etc. (see the Note under {Escapement}, noun, 3); also, by the kind of case, as a {gold} or {silver watch}, an {open-faced watch}, a {hunting watch}, or {hunter}, etc.
6. (Naut.) (a) An allotted portion of time, usually four hour for standing watch, or being on deck ready for duty. Cf. {Dogwatch}. (b) That part, usually one half, of the officers and crew, who together attend to the working of a vessel for an allotted time, usually four hours. The watches are designated as the {port watch}, and the {starboard watch}.
{Anchor watch} (Naut.), a detail of one or more men who keep watch on deck when a vessel is at anchor.
{To be on the watch}, to be looking steadily for some event.
{Watch and ward} (Law), the charge or care of certain officers to keep a watch by night and a guard by day in towns, cities, and other districts, for the preservation of the public peace. --Wharton. --Burrill.
{Watch and watch} (Naut.), the regular alternation in being on watch and off watch of the two watches into which a ship's crew is commonly divided.
{Watch barrel}, the brass box in a watch, containing the mainspring.
{Watch bell} (Naut.), a bell struck when the half-hour glass is run out, or at the end of each half hour. --Craig.
{Watch bill} (Naut.), a list of the officers and crew of a ship as divided into watches, with their stations. --Totten.
{Watch case}, the case, or outside covering, of a watch; also, a case for holding a watch, or in which it is kept.
{Watch chain}. Same as {watch guard}, below.
{Watch clock}, a watchman's clock; see under {Watchman}.
{Watch fire}, a fire lighted at night, as a signal, or for the use of a watch or guard.
{Watch glass}. (a) A concavo-convex glass for covering the face, or dial, of a watch; -- also called {watch crystal}. (b) (Naut.) A half-hour glass used to measure the time of a watch on deck.
{Watch guard}, a chain or cord by which a watch is attached to the person.
{Watch gun} (Naut.), a gun sometimes fired on shipboard at 8 p. m., when the night watch begins.
{Watch light}, a low-burning lamp used by watchers at night; formerly, a candle having a rush wick.
{Watch night}, The last night of the year; -- so called by the Methodists, Moravians, and others, who observe it by holding religious meetings lasting until after midnight.
{Watch paper}, an old-fashioned ornament for the inside of a watch case, made of paper cut in some fanciful design, as a vase with flowers, etc.
{Watch tackle} (Naut.), a small, handy purchase, consisting of a tailed double block, and a single block with a hook.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Watch \Watch\, verb (used with an object) [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 The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Watch \Watch\, verb (used without an object) [Cf. AS. w[oe]ccan, wacian. [root]134. See {Watch}, noun, {Wake}, verb (used without an object) ]
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 The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Alarm \A*larm"\ ([.a]*l[aum]rm"), noun [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) 2.0 [wn]:
watch
noun
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}, {spotter}, {scout}, {picket}]
6: a devotional watch (especially on the eve of a religious festival) [syn: {vigil}]
verb
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 Broadway"; "see a movie" [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: observe or determine by looking; "Watch how the dog chases the cats away"
7: find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort; "I want to see whether she speaks French"; "See whether it works"; "find out if he speaks Russian"; "Check whether the train leaves on time" [syn: {determine}, {check}, {find out}, {see}, {ascertain}, {learn}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
303 Moby Thesaurus words for "watch": Argus, Big Ben, Charley, abide, airplane spotter, alarm clock, alarm watch, anchor watch, and listen, animadvert, appear, assister, astronomical clock, atomic clock, attend, attend to, await, baby-sit, bakehead, be at, be present at, be vigilant, be watchful, bevy, bide, bit, black gang, boilerman, box chronometer, bug, bungs, cabin boy, calculate on, calendar clock, calendar watch, care for, case, catch, chaperon, charm, cherish, chips, chronograph, chronometer, chronopher, chronoscope, clepsydra, clock, clock movement, clocks, clockworks, cloud, come to, commissary steward, complement, conserve, count on, covey, cuckoo clock, custodianship, custody, day shift, deckhand, deckie, dekko, dial, digital clock, digital watch, do, dogwatch, eagle eye, electric clock, electronic clock, espial, espionage, examine, eye, eyeball, fire patrolman, fire warden, fireguard, fireman, flight, flock, follow, forestall, forward observer, foster, full time, gaggle, gape, gaze at, gnomon, go to, grandfather clock, graveyard shift, guard, guardedness, guardianship, gun loader, gunner, half time, half-hour glass, half-minute glass, hand, have a looksee, heed, hive, hold in view, horologe, horologium, hospital steward, hourglass, hunter, independent-seconds watch, inspect, invigilation, isochronon, journeyman, keep alert, keep guard, keep in sight, keep in view, keep under observation, keep vigil, keep watch, keep watch over, landing signalman, lobster trick, look, look about one, look after, look at, look for, look forward to, look lively, look on, look out, look out for, look sharp, look to, look upon, looking, lookout, lookout man, mail orderly, make a reconnaissance, marine chronometer, mark, mark time, matronize, metronome, mind, minister to, monitoring, mother, mount guard, murmuration, navigator, never nod, night shift, night watchman, note, notice, nurse, nurture, observance, observation, observe, ogle, oiler, overtime, part time, patrol, patroller, patrolman, peeled eye, peep, picket, plague, play the spy, police, preserve, proctoring, protege, provide for, prudence, purser, put under surveillance, qui vive, radio operator, reckon on, reconnoiter, regard, relay, remark, repeater, respect, ride herd on, roundsman, roustabout, sandglass, scan, scout, scout out, scrutinize, scrutiny, see, see after, see to, sentinel, sentry, sharp eye, shepherd, shift, show up, sit in, sit up for, skein, snip, snips, sparks, split schedule, split shift, spotter, spring, spy, spy out, spy upon, spying, stake out, stand guard, stand sentinel, stay up for, steward, stewardess, stewardship, stint, stoker, stop, sundial, sunrise watch, support, surveillance, swarm, sweat, sweat it out, sweat out, swing shift, tab, take care of, take charge of, take in, take note, take notice, telltale, tend, ticker, time, time switch, timekeeper, timepiece, timepieces, timer, torpedoman, tour, tour of duty, tout, trick, turn, turn of work, turn up, turnip, vedette, view, viewing, vigil, vigilance, visit, wait, wait for, wait on, wait up for, ward, wariness, watch and wait, watch and ward, watch out, watch out for, watch over, watcher, watchful eye, watchfulness, watching, watchkeeper, watchman, watchworks, weather eye, witness, witnessing, work shift, wristwatch, yeoman
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