ward

Meanings

Noun

• A warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman.
• Protection, defence.
• A protected place, and by extension, a type of subdivision.
• A person under guardianship.
• An object used for guarding.

Verb

• To keep in safety, to watch over, to guard.
• To defend, to protect.
• To fend off, to repel, to turn aside, as anything mischievous that approaches; -- usually followed by off.
• To be vigilant; to keep guard.
• To act on the defensive with a weapon.

Related

Similar words

• ward off

Origin

• From Middle English ward, from Old English weard ("keeper, watchman, guard, guardian, protector; lord, king; possessor"), from Proto-Germanic *warduz ("guard, keeper"), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- ("to heed, defend"). Cognate with German Wart.
• From Middle English ward, warde, from Old English weard, from Proto-Germanic *wardō, an extension of the stem *wara- (English wary, beware), from Proto-Indo-European *wer-. Cognate with German Warte, warten; English guard is a parallel form which came via Old French.
• From Middle English warden, from Old English weardian ("to watch, guard, keep, protect, preserve; hold, possess, occupy, inhabit; rule, govern"), from Proto-West Germanic *wardēn, from Proto-Germanic *wardōną, *wardāną, from Proto-Indo-European *wer- ("to heed, defend").