English Explanatory Dictionary

guard

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A person who, or thing that, protects or watches over something.
  2. A garda; a police officer.
  3. A squad responsible for protecting something.
  4. An elite military unit in Russia, the former Soviet Union and several post-Soviet countries.
  5. The part of a sword that protects the wielder's hand.
  6. A part of a machine which blocks access to dangerous parts.
  7. A watchchain.
  8. A panel of a car that encloses the wheel area, especially the front wheels.
  9. A state of caution; posture of defence.
  10. Something worn to protect part of the body, e.g. the shins in cricket.
  11. A relatively short player, playing farther from the basket than a forward or centre.
  12. The position on the popping crease where a batsman makes a mark to align himself with the wicket; see take guard.
verb
  1. To protect from danger; to secure against surprise, attack, or injury; to keep in safety; to defend.
  2. To keep watch over, in order to prevent escape or restrain from acts of violence, or the like.
  3. To watch by way of caution or defense; to be cautious; to be in a state or position of defense or safety.
  4. To protect the edge of, especially with an ornamental border; hence, to face or ornament with lists, laces, etc.
  5. To fasten by binding; to gird.
name
  1. A surname.
  2. Ellipsis of the proper name of any of various specific services called the National Guard, the Republican Guard, and so on.

Pronunciation

/ɡɑːd/ /ɡɑɹd/ En-us-guard.ogg EN-AU ck1 guard.ogg En-au-guard.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-guard.wav

Word forms

guard guards gard garde guarde guarding guarded

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wer- Proto-Indo-European *wor-tús Proto-Germanic *warduz Proto-Germanic *-āną Proto-Germanic *wardō Proto-Germanic *-āną Proto-Germanic *wardāną Frankish *wardēnbor. Early Medieval Latin wardō Old French guarder Old French guardebor. Middle English garde English guard From Middle English garde, from early Middle French or late Old French guarde (“a guardian, warden, keeper”) (whence modern French garde), from the verb guarder. Doublet of garda, which is from Irish.

Synonyms

crossguard quillon protection fender

Related words

grip pommel ricasso Guards

Derived words

advance guard advance-guard after-guard afterguard armguard ass guard avant-guard axle guard blackguard bodyguard border guard bow-guard bowguard bow guard breath guard car guard castle-guard cattle-guard cattle guard cattleguard chainguard chain guard changing of the guard cheek guard chestguard chin guard chinguard Civil Guard coast guard coastguard color guard colour guard corporal's guard counterguard crossguard crossing guard dress guard drop one's guard enguard faceguard fingerguard fireguard fire guard footguard foreguard gate guard grand guard grand-guard grille guard guard against guard band guard book guard cell guard dog guard-dog guardess guardfish guardful guard hair guardhouse
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