WATCH

I. verb see: wake Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. to keep vigil as a devotional exercise, to be awake during the night, 2. to be attentive or vigilant, to keep guard, 3. to keep someone or something under close observation, to observe as a spectator , to be expectant ; wait , transitive verb to keep under guard, 2. to observe closely in order to check on action or change , to look at ; observe , to look on at , 3. to take care of ; tend , to be careful of , to be on the alert for ; bide , II. noun Date: before 12th century 1. the act of keeping awake to guard, protect, or attend, the state of being wakeful, a wake over a dead body, a state of alert and continuous attention, close observation ; surveillance , a notice or bulletin that alerts the public to the possibility of severe weather conditions occurring in the near future , 2. any of the definite divisions of the night made by ancient peoples, one of the indeterminate intervals marking the passage of night, 3. lookout , ~man , the office or function of a sentinel or guard, 4. a body of soldiers or sentinels making up a guard, a ~man or body of ~men formerly assigned to patrol the streets of a town at night, announce the hours, and act as police, 5. a. a portion of time during which a part of a ship's company is on duty, the part of a ship's company required to be on duty during a particular ~, a sailor's assigned duty period, a period of duty ; shift , a term as holder especially of an overseeing or managerial office , a portable timepiece designed to be worn (as on the wrist) or carried in the pocket