noun
or watching and warding
Etymology: Middle English wacche and warde
1. : the act of keeping guard : continuous unbroken vigilance and guard
a handful of men kept watch and ward against the Iroquois — Francis Parkman
2.
a. : service as a watchman or sentinel required from a feudal tenant — compare burgage 2
b. : service as a watchman specified as one of the chief duties of a constable