night watch

Meanings

1. A watch kept on some premises, or on a town, by guards during the night.
2. One or more of the guards on such a watch.
3. One of the watches kept on a marine vessel.
4. The sailors standing such a watch.

Etymology

From Middle English nightwacche, nyȝt-wacche, nyghte wacche, nyȝt wacche, from Old English nihtwæċċe, a variant of nihtwacu (“nightwatch”), equivalent to night + watch. Cognate with West Frisian nachtwacht (“nightwatch”), Dutch nachtwacht, nachtwake (“nightwatch”), German Nachtwache (“nightwatch”) and Nachtwächter (“night watchman”), Swedish nattvakt (“nightwatch”), Icelandic næturvakt (“nightwatch”).