I. ˈwäch also ˈwȯch verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: Middle English wacchen, from Old English wæccan; akin to Old English wacian to wake — more at wake
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to keep vigil as a devotional exercise
taught me how to watch and pray — Philip Doddridge
b. : to be awake : to be or continue without sleep : wake
could you not watch one hour — Mk 14:37 (Revised Standard Version)
c. : to remain awake during the night in attendance on a sick person
watched by his bedside until morning
2.
a. : to be on one's guard or on the lookout : be attentive or vigilant
watch jealously for any infringements of their rights — W.G.Hardy
b. : to keep guard : act as guard
told him to watch outside and see that no one entered
3.
a. : to keep someone or something under close observation
seemed to feel her eyes on me all the time … watching, prying, judging — T.B.Costain
b. : to observe as a spectator : look on
the nation watched while stocks rose to staggering heights — American Guide Series: Minnesota
4. of an otter : to retire into a lair to rest
5. : to serve on a ship's watch
6. of a buoy : to float properly in its place
7. : to remain unfolded or unclosed — used of a flower
8. : to look with expectation : be expectant : wait
watched for the signal
watched for the train
transitive verb
1. : to keep under guard
protected by a pair of high fences watched by armed guards — Lamp
2.
a. : to observe closely in order to check on action or change : keep tabs on
says he's positive they're being watched by the police — Mary Deasy
every eye was fixed aloft, watching the masts, which were expected every moment to go over the side — Frederick Marryat
b. : to look at : observe
watch a bus approaching you — Bertrand Russell
sat very still and watched him — Raymond Chandler
c. : to be a spectator at : look on at
people have a hard time getting to watch afternoon entertainment in this age — John Lardner
watch a ball game
3.
a. : to take care of : tend
watched the baby while her mother shopped
b. : to attend to : oversee
will watch their plane reservations and their weight, their hotel bookings and their manners — Harry Gordon
c. : to be careful of
as a performer I'd have to rest, watch my diet — Barbara B. Jamison
d. : to make sure
watch that he doesn't fall
4. : to keep (a hawk) from sleep for the purpose of tiring and taming
my lord shall never rest, I'll watch him tame — Shakespeare
5. : to be on the alert for : be ready to take advantage of or use : wait for : bide
an adversary of no common prowess was watching his time — T.B.Macaulay
watched his opportunity
6. : to keep in touch with : remain aware of or informed about
no one who has watched the course of history during the last generation can have felt doubt of its tendency — Henry Adams
7. Britain : to provide with watchmen : police
Synonyms: see see
•
- watch it
- watch one's step
- watch over
II. noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English wacche, from Old English wæcce, from wæccan, v.
1.
a. : the act of keeping awake for the purpose of guarding, protecting, or attending : sleepless vigilance
kept watch by his bed — Robert Browning
b. obsolete : the state of being awake : sleeplessness , wakefulness
fell into a sadness, then into a fast, thence to a watch — Shakespeare
c. : a wake over a dead body
d. : a state of alert and continuous attention to some situation, course of events, or danger
in a position to keep a close watch over events — R.P.Brooks
wide open were the gates and no watch kept — Alfred Tennyson
e. : close observation over someone : surveillance
kept a careful watch over the prisoner
kept a close watch over his son
2.
a. : any of the definite divisions of the night made by ancient peoples
b. : one of the indeterminate wakeful intervals marking the passage of night — usually used in plural
the silent watches of the night
3.
a. : one that watches : lookout , watchman
a yell from the bow watch — Vincent McHugh
b. archaic : the office or function of a sentinel or guard
as I did stand my watch upon the hill — Shakespeare
c. obsolete : the cry of a watchman or sentinel
his sentinel, the wolf, whose howl's his watch — Shakespeare
4. : a person or group of persons charged with the duty or function of protecting life or property or preserving the peace: as
a. : a body of soldiers or sentinels making up the guard of a camp or town
some of the watch came into the city — Mt 28:11 (Authorized Version)
b. : a watchman or body of watchmen formerly assigned to patrol the streets of a town at night, announce the hours, and act as police
they fight! I will go call the watch — Shakespeare
c. usually capitalized : a company of irregular Highland troops
the Black Watch
5. : a flock of nightingales
6.
a.
(1) : a portion of time during which a part of a ship's company is required to be on deck ready for duty — see afternoon watch , dogwatch , first watch , forenoon watch , midwatch , morning watch
(2) : the part of a ship's company required to be on duty during a particular watch
one by one, junior members of the watch reported that they had been properly relieved — K.M.Dodson
— see port watch , starboard watch
(3) : a sailor's assigned duty period
everything was peaceful during his watch
b. : a period of duty : shift
was the duty sergeant on the 4 P.M. to midnight watch for four years — Springfield (Massachusetts) Union
7.
a. : a portable timepiece that has a movement driven in any of several ways (as by a spring or a battery) and is designed to be worn (as on the wrist) or carried in the pocket — compare clock
b. obsolete : the dial of a clock
c. : the going train in a striking clock
d. : a ship's chronometer
8. : a place of observation : a lookout station
three of us were catfooting up a shallow draft to our watches — Ed Shearer
•
- on the watch
III. adjective
1. : used while or for watching : qualified to watch : used or serving as a lookout
a watch mastiff
2. : of, belonging to, or used by a watchman or watcher
a watch pole
IV. noun
1. : a notice or bulletin that alerts the public to the possibility of severe weather conditions occurring in the near future
a winter storm watch
2. : a term as holder especially of an overseeing or managerial office
the business grew on her watch