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Ward
Definitions
- 1 An English surname originating as an occupation for a guard or watchman. countable
- 2 Clipping of Edward (a corruption of the name Edward). abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
- 3 An English male given name. countable
- 4 Clipping of Howard. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
- 5 A placename; A parish of Castleknock, Fingal, Ireland. countable, uncountable
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- 6 A placename; A river in Ireland; in full, Ward River. countable, uncountable
- 7 A placename; A small town in Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand, named after Joseph Ward. countable, uncountable
- 8 A placename; Ellipsis of Ward Beach: a coastline in Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
- 9 A placename; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Sumter County, Alabama. countable, uncountable
- 10 A placename; A locale in the United States:; A city in Lonoke County, Arkansas. countable, uncountable
- 11 A placename; A locale in the United States:; A town in Boulder County, Colorado. countable, uncountable
- 12 A placename; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Jackson Township, Boone County, Indiana. countable, uncountable
- 13 A placename; A locale in the United States:; A township in Todd County, Minnesota. countable, uncountable
- 14 A placename; A locale in the United States:; A town in Allegany County, New York. countable, uncountable
- 15 A placename; A locale in the United States:; A township in Hocking County, Ohio. countable, uncountable
- 16 A placename; A locale in the United States:; A township in Tioga County, Pennsylvania. countable, uncountable
- 17 A placename; A locale in the United States:; A town in Saluda County, South Carolina. countable, uncountable
- 18 A placename; A locale in the United States:; A town in Moody County, South Dakota. countable, uncountable
- 19 A placename; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Stevens County, Washington. countable, uncountable
- 20 A placename; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community and coal town in Kanawha County, West Virginia. countable, uncountable
- 21 A placename; A locale in the United States:; Ellipsis of Ward County. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
- 1 A warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman. archaic, obsolete
"th'aſſieged Caſtles ward Their ſtedfaſt ſtonds did mightily maintaine"
- 2 Protection, defence.; The action of a watchman; monitoring, surveillance (usually in phrases keep ward etc.) countable, uncountable
"Before the dore ſat ſelfe-conſuming Care, Day and night keeping wary watch and ward, For feare leaſt Force or Fraud ſhould vnaware Breake in[…]"
- 3 a division of a prison (usually consisting of several cells) wordnet
- 4 Protection, defence.; Guardianship, especially of a child or prisoner. countable, uncountable
"So forth the presoners were brought before Arthure, and he commaunded hem into kepyng of the conestabyls warde, surely to be kepte as noble presoners."
- 5 block forming a division of a hospital (or a suite of rooms) shared by patients who need a similar kind of care wordnet
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- 6 Protection, defence.; An enchantment or spell placed over a designated area or social unit, that prevents any tresspasser from entering; approaching; or even being able to locate said protected premises or demographic. countable, uncountable
- 7 a district into which a city or town is divided for the purpose of administration and elections wordnet
- 8 Protection, defence.; A guarding or defensive motion or position. countable, uncountable
"Thou knowest my old ward; here I lay, and thus I bore my point."
- 9 a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another wordnet
- 10 Protection, defence.; Land tenure through military service. countable, historical, uncountable
- 11 A protected place, and by extension, a type of subdivision.; An area of a castle, corresponding to a circuit of the walls. countable, uncountable
"Diocletian[…]must certainly have derived some consolation from the grandeur of Aspalaton, the great arcaded wall it turned to the Adriatic, its four separate wards, each town size, and its seventeen watch-towers[…]."
- 12 A protected place, and by extension, a type of subdivision.; A section or subdivision of a prison. countable, uncountable
- 13 A protected place, and by extension, a type of subdivision.; An administrative division of a borough, city or council. countable, uncountable
"On our last visit to Tokyo, we went to Chiyoda ward and visited the Emperor's palace."
- 14 A protected place, and by extension, a type of subdivision.; A division of a forest. UK, countable, uncountable
- 15 A protected place, and by extension, a type of subdivision.; A subdivision of the LDS Church, smaller than and part of a stake, but larger than a branch. Mormonism, countable, uncountable
- 16 A protected place, and by extension, a type of subdivision.; A part of a hospital, with beds, where patients reside. countable, uncountable
"Since sick people were apt to be present, he could not always depend on a lively young crowd in the same ward with him, and the entertainment was not always good."
- 17 A person under guardianship.; A minor looked after by a guardian. countable, uncountable
"After the trial, little Robert was declared a ward of the state."
- 18 A person under guardianship.; An underage orphan. countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 19 An object used for guarding. countable, uncountable
- 20 An object used for guarding.; The ridges on the inside of a lock, or the incisions on a key. countable, uncountable
"A man muſt thorowly ſound himſelfe, and dive into his heart, and there ſee by what wards or ſprings the motions ſtirre."
- 1 To keep in safety, to watch over, to guard. transitive
"Whoſe gates he found faſt ſhut, ne liuing wight To ward the ſame, nor anſwere commers call"
- 2 watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect wordnet
- 3 To defend, to protect. transitive
"Tell him it was a hand that warded him From a thousand dangers."
- 4 To fend off, to repel, to turn aside, as anything mischievous that approaches. (usually followed by off) transitive
"Draw forth thy ſword, thou mightie man at armes, Intending but to raiſe my charmed ſkin: And Ioue himſelfe will ſtretch his hand from heauen, To ward the blow, and ſhield me ſafe from harme, […]"
- 5 To be vigilant; to keep guard. intransitive
"They for vs fight, they watch and dewly ward, And their bright Squadrons round about vs plant […]"
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- 6 To act on the defensive with a weapon. intransitive
Etymology
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 Dutch waard, German Wart.
From Middle English ward, warde, from Old English weard (“watching, ward, protection, guardianship; advance post; waiting for, lurking, ambuscade”), from Proto-West Germanic *wardu, from Proto-Germanic *wardō (“protection, attention, keeping”), an extension of the stem *wara- (“attentive”) (English wary, beware), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to cover”). Cognate with German Warte (“watchtower”), warten (“wait for”); 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 (“to guard”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to heed, defend”). Doublet of guard.
* As an English surname, from the noun ward and related cognates such as warden, guard etc. * As an Irish surname, reduced from McWard, from mac an bard (“son of the poet”). * As a Jewish surname, adapted from Warshawski, named after Warsaw. Comparable to Warszawski. * As a French surname, Americanized from Guerin.
A shortened form.
See also for "ward"
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