guard

A person who, or thing that, protects or watches over something.

Noun

  1. A person who, or thing that, protects or watches over something.
    • The prison guard unlocked the door of the cell. After completing the repairs, he replaced the sump guard.
    • border guard, prison guard, security guard
    • Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.[…]A silver snaffle on a heavy leather watch guard which connected the pockets of his corduroy waistcoat, together with a huge gold...
  2. A garda; a police officer.
    • The Garda Regulations 1924 required a candidate for appointment as a guard to be able to produce satisfactory references as to his character - 2016, Anastasia Dukova, A History of the Dublin Metropolitan Police and its...
  3. A squad responsible for protecting something.
    • The president inspected the guard of honour.

    1. (military, often in the plural) An elite military unit in Russia, the former Soviet Union and several post-Soviet countries.

  4. The part of a sword that protects the wielder's hand.
    • Holonym: hilt

    Synonyms: crossguard quillon

    Related: grip pommel ricasso

  5. A part of a machine which blocks access to dangerous parts.
    • The motorcycle mechanic removed the damaged chain guard.
  6. A watchchain.
  7. A panel of a car that encloses the wheel area, especially the front wheels.
    • Another possible way is to go for a lower profile tyre (50 series). This effectively lowers the distance of the tyre wall away from the guard (not by much though and generally, the lower the profile, the wider the tyre...
    • The reason I'm asking - Whenever I put some weight in the back of the car (say - a passenger or two) the rear tyres can sometimes hit the guards. - 1999 November 23, Nathan, “Tyres rubbing on guards”, in aus.cars...
    • I had just bought myself broken headlights, a f**ked up grill, a front guard bent into my front tyre, a leaky radiator and one *SLIGHTLY* bent chassis rail end. I turned the key on my stalled motor and she kicked over...
  8. A state of caution; posture of defence.
  9. Something worn to protect part of the body, e.g. the shins in cricket.
  10. A relatively short player, playing farther from the basket than a forward or centre.
  11. The position on the popping crease where a batsman makes a mark to align himself with the wicket; see take guard.
  12. Either of two offensive positions between the centre and each of the offensive tackles, whose main responsibilities are to protect the quarterback, and open up "holes" through which offensive players can run.

Origin

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.

Forms

guards gard garde guarde

Synonyms

quillon protection fender

Derived

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

Verb

  1. To protect from danger; to secure against surprise, attack, or injury; to keep in safety; to defend.
    • All of the mountain passes are guarded by troops.
    • For Heaven still guards the right. - 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies:...
    • Henceforth, wherever thou may’st roam, ⁠My blessing, like a line of light, ⁠Is on the waters day and night, And like a beacon guards thee home. - 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XVII”, in In Memoriam, London:...
  2. To keep watch over, in order to prevent escape or restrain from acts of violence, or the like.
    • Guard the prisoner.
  3. To watch by way of caution or defense; to be cautious; to be in a state or position of defense or safety.
    • Careful people guard against mistakes.
  4. To protect the edge of, especially with an ornamental border; hence, to face or ornament with lists, laces, etc.
    • The body of your discourse is sometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but slightly basted on neither. - 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William...
  5. To fasten by binding; to gird.

Origin

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 Middle French garderder. ▲ Old French guarderder. English guard From early Middle French garder or late Old French (circa 14th cent) guarder (“to keep, ward, guard, save, preserve, etc.”), from Early Medieval Latin wardo, from Frankish *wardēn, from Proto-Germanic *wardāną (“to guard, protect”). Cognate with French garder, Old English weardian (whence also the English inherited doublet ward). See also English regard.

Forms

guards guarding guarded gard garde guarde

Derived

foreguard fox guarding the henhouse guardable guardage guardee guardingly guarding post guard one's tongue unguard wolf guarding the sheep