Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To watch over to keep from being harmed or injured: synonym: defend.
  • intransitive verb To supervise the entry and exit through; keep watch at.
  • intransitive verb To watch over so as to prevent escape or violence.
  • intransitive verb To keep from risk or curtailment; ensure the safety or integrity of.
  • intransitive verb Sports To keep (an opposing player) from scoring or playing effectively, usually by remaining close to the player to disrupt offensive play.
  • intransitive verb To maintain control over, as to prevent indiscretion.
  • intransitive verb To furnish (a device or object) with a part that protects people from harm or injury.
  • intransitive verb Archaic To escort as a guard.
  • intransitive verb To take precautions.
  • intransitive verb To serve as a guard.
  • noun One who protects, keeps watch, or acts as a sentinel.
  • noun One who supervises prisoners.
  • noun An honor guard.
  • noun Chiefly British A railway employee in charge of a train.
  • noun Football One of the two offensive linemen on either side of the center.
  • noun Basketball Either of the two players normally positioned in the backcourt who are responsible for bringing the ball to and initiating offensive plays from the frontcourt.
  • noun Sports A defensive position or stance, as in boxing or fencing.
  • noun The act or duty of guarding.
  • noun Protection; watch.
  • noun Something that gives protection; a safeguard.
  • noun A device or attachment that prevents injury, damage, or loss, especially.
  • noun An attachment or covering put on a machine to protect the operator or a part of the machine.
  • noun A device on a foil, sword, or knife that protects the hand.
  • noun A padded covering worn to protect a body part from injury.
  • noun A small chain or band attached to a watch or bracelet to prevent loss.
  • noun A ring worn to prevent a more valuable ring from sliding off the finger.
  • noun Electronics A signal that prevents accidental activation of a device or ambiguous interpretation of data.
  • idiom (off (one's) guard) Not alert; unprepared.
  • idiom (on (one's) guard) Alert and watchful; cautious.
  • idiom (stand guard) To keep watch.
  • idiom (stand guard) To act as a sentinel.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In foot-ball, basket-ball, and similar games, a player occupying a certain position.
  • noun In fortification, the keep of a castle; the lodging of the main guard.
  • To secure against injury of any kind in any manner; specifically, to protect by attendance; defend; keep in safety; accompany as a protection.
  • To provide or secure against objections, or the attacks of hostile criticism or malevolence.
  • To protect the edge of, especially by an ornamental border; hence, to adorn with lists, laces, or ornaments.
  • To fasten on a guard for the purpose of binding.
  • To insert guards between the leaves of (an intended guard-book).
  • Synonyms To shield, shelter, watch.
  • To watch by way of caution or defense; be cautious; be in a state of caution or defense.
  • noun A state of readiness to oppose attack; a state of defense; in general, a state of protection against injury or impairment of any kind.
  • noun Specifically, a state of caution or vigilance; attentive observation designed to prevent surprise or attack; watch; heed: as, to keep guard; to be on one's guard; to keep a careful guard over the tongue.
  • noun One who or that which protects or keeps in safety; one who or that which secures against danger, attack, loss, or injury; one who keeps protecting watch.
  • noun Specifically— A man or body of men occupied in preserving a person or place from attack or injury, or in preventing an escape; he or they whose business it is to defend, or to prevent attack or surprise: as, a body-guard; a prison guard.
  • noun Anything that keeps off evil: as, modesty is the guard of innocence.
  • noun That which secures against hostile criticism or censure; a protection against malevolent or ignorant attacks upon one's reputation, opinions, etc.
  • noun In fencing or boxing, a posture of passive defense; the arms or weapon in such a posture: as, to beat down one's guard.
  • noun In the game of cricket, the position of the bat for most effectually defending the wicket.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English garden, from Old French garder, guarder, of Germanic origin; see wer- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

For verb: From early Middle French or late Old French (circa 14th cent) guarder ("to keep, ward, guard, save, preserve, etc."), from Frankish *wardōn (from Proto-Germanic *wardo-), cognate with Old English weardian (from which English to ward). Compare French garder. See also English regard.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word guard.

Examples

  • _ H. - So. supposes heáfod-weard, _a guard of honor_, such as sovereigns or presumptive rulers had, to be meant by hafalan hýdan; hence, _you need not give me any guard_, etc.Cf. Schmid, _Gesetze der A. _, 370-372. l.

    Beowulf Robert Sharp 1879

  • _ H. - So. supposes hēafod-weard, _a guard of honor_, such as sovereigns or presumptive rulers had, to be meant by hafalan hȳdan; hence, _you need not give me any guard_, etc.Cf. Schmid, _Gesetze der A. _, 370-372. l.

    Beowulf Robert Sharp 1879

  • The Strel'tsy were divided in three establishments: a) the grooms [Stremiannye], who represented the guard of the sovereign [Strasza Gossudaria], b) the Moscow Strel'tsy, c) the frontier Strel'tsy, or frontier guard….

    Cranberry Sauce Struve, Gleb 1977

  • Stanko says: everyone needs to pay attention to the trailor and see that the Security guard is not patrolling the skate park, but it seems as if its a guard from the rail road yard.

    YOU’RE THE MAN NOW, DOG 2008

  • The Boston-area guard is another explosive scorer who had 43 points in the National Prep Championships.

    Big East Conference 2010

  • The Boston-area guard is another explosive scorer who had 43 points in the National Prep Championships.

    Providence - Team Notes 2010

  • If the guard is a minute late, Rojas bangs on the gate's bars, and because he is the boss, the gate quickly swings open.

    Fishing the Venice Beach Pier Jonathan Miles 2005

  • The Sergeant of the guard is all right, but some of them are devils; they are looking for promotion, and know the way to get it is to excel in cruelty.

    Three Times and Out: A Canadian Boy's Experience in Germany Nellie L. McClung 1918

  • He gave instructions that my depot should be rung up, and he bade Wilson remove me to what he called the guard-room.

    Mr. Standfast John Buchan 1907

  • I knew you to be the man you are, the moment I laid eyes on you in what we call our guard-room; but I thought I would humor the old soldier who lives here, by letting him have the formula of an examination, as a sort of deference to his age and former rank.

    The Pilot James Fenimore Cooper 1820

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • In fencing, the guard or bell guard protects the hand from the opponent's blade.

    February 6, 2007