watch
/ˈwɒt͡ʃ/ noun, verb
Forms watches watching watched watchest watchedst watcheth
- noun A portable or wearable timepiece. “More people today carry a watch on their wrists than in their pockets; some people today don't use a watch at all, because their smartphone serves the purpose well enough.”
- noun The act of guarding and observing someone or something.
- noun A particular time period when guarding is kept. “The second watch of the night began at midnight.”
- noun A period of wakefulness between the two sleeps of a biphasic sleep pattern (the dead sleep or first sleep and morning sleep or second sleep): the first waking.
- noun A person or group of people who guard. “The watch stopped the travelers at the city gates.”
- noun The post or office of a watchman; also, the place where a watchman is posted, or where a guard is kept.
- noun (nautical) A group of sailors and officers aboard a ship or shore station with a common period of duty: starboard watch, port watch.
- noun (nautical) A period of time on duty, usually four hours in length; the officers and crew who tend the working of a vessel during the same watch. (FM 55–501).
- verb (ambitransitive) To look at, see, or view for a period of time. “Watching the clock will not make time go faster.”
- verb (transitive) To observe over a period of time; to notice or pay attention. “Watch this!”
- verb (transitive) To mind, attend, or guard. “Please watch my suitcase for a minute.”
- verb (transitive) To be wary or cautious of. “You should watch that guy. He has a reputation for lying.”
- verb (transitive) To attend to dangers to or regarding. “watch your head; watch your step”
- verb (intransitive) To remain awake with a sick or dying person; to maintain a vigil.
- verb (intransitive) To be vigilant or on one's guard. “For some must watch, while some must sleep: So runs the world away.”
- verb (intransitive) To act as a lookout.
Synonyms
ticker vigil lookout lookout man sentinel sentry spotter scout picket observe follow watch over keep an eye on view see catch take in look on look out watch out determine check find out ascertain learn
Antonyms
Etymology
As a noun, from Middle English wacche, from Old English wæċċe. See below for verb form.
From Middle English wacchen, from Old English wæċċan, from Proto-West Germanic *wakkjan, from Proto-Germanic *wakjaną.
Cognate with Dutch wekken, German wecken, Danish vække, Norwegian Bokmål vekke, Norwegian Nynorsk vekkja, Swedish väcka, Faroese and Icelandic vekja.
Webster’s 1913
- noun 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.
- noun One who watches, or those who watch; a watchman, or a body of watchmen; a sentry; a guard.
- verb To be awake; to be or continue without sleep; to wake; to keep vigil.
- verb To be attentive or vigilant; to give heed; to be on the lookout; to keep guard; to act as sentinel.
Etymology [OE. wacche, AS. wæcce, fr. wacian to wake; akin to D. wacht, waak, G. wacht, wache. Wake, v. i.]
Etymology [Cf. AS. woeccan, wacian. sq. root134. See Watch, n., Wake, v. i.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “watch”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details