Definitions

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

  • noun A sentry's challenge.
  • idiom (on the qui vive) On the alert; vigilant.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Who goes there? — the challenge of French sentries addressed to those who approach their posts.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • The challenge of a French sentinel, or patrol; -- used like the English challenge: “Who comes there?”
  • to be on guard; to be watchful and alert, like a sentinel.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun a state of heightened vigilance, especially prior to battle

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun condition of heightened watchfulness or preparation for action

Etymologies

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

[French, (long) live who? (a sentry's challenge to determine a person's political sympathies) : qui, who + vive, third person sing. present subjunctive of vivre, to live.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French who lives? - a sentry's challenge

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Examples

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Comments

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  • JM, though not in way a sentinel, still frequently finds himself demanding "qui vive?"

    February 1, 2009