guard

Noun · Verb
US[gahrd]/ɡɑrd/1 syllable
Synonyms: safetysafety deviceprecautionsafeguardguard dutysentry dutysentry gowarddefendhold

Open English WordNet

Noun (11)guards

  1. a person who keeps watch over something or someoneType of defender, guardianKinds doorkeeper, screener, bouncer, halberdier, watcher
  2. the person who lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team on the line of scrimmage“the left guard was injured on the play”Type of lineman
  3. a device designed to prevent injury or accidentsSynonyms: safetysafety deviceType of deviceKinds safety catch, fender
  4. a posture of defence in boxing or fencing“keep your guard up”Type of position, posture
  5. the person who plays the position of guard on a basketball teamType of basketball player, basketeerExamples Robertson, Oscar Robertson
  6. a military unit serving to protect some place or personType of military unit, military forceKinds home guard, territorial, bodyguardMembers bodyguard, escort
  7. a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.“he put an ice pack on the injury as a precaution”“an insurance policy is a good safeguard”“we let our guard down”Synonyms: precautionsafeguard
  8. the duty of serving as a sentry“he was on guard that night”Synonyms: guard dutysentry dutysentry go
  9. (American football) a position on the line of scrimmage between the center and the tackles“guards must be good blockers”
  10. a position on a basketball team
  11. a soldier who is a member of a unit called ‘the guard’ or ‘guards’

Verb (4)guards, guarded, guarding

  1. to keep watch over“there would be men guarding the horses”More general watch, observeMore specific patrol, stand guard, baby-sit
  2. watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect“guard my possessions while I'm away”Synonyms: wardMore general protectMore specific shepherd
  3. protect against a challenge or attack“Hold that position behind the trees!”“Hold the bridge against the enemy's attacks”Synonyms: defendholdMore general protectSimilar hold
  4. take precautions in order to avoid some unwanted consequence“guard against becoming too friendly with the staff”“guard against infection”More general act, move

Related words safeguard verb, guard duty noun

Word of the day · Sep 28About this word
onerousadjective

What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Guard transitive verb [past tense & past participle Guarded; present participle & verbal noun Gurding.]

Origin: OF. guarder, garder, warder, F. garder, fr. OHG. wart…n to be on the watch, await, G. marten. See Ward, v. & n., and cf. Guard, noun

1. To protect from danger; to secure against surprise, attack, or injury; to keep in safety; to defend; to shelter; to shield from surprise or attack; to protect by attendance; to accompany for protection; to care for.

For Heaven still guards the right.— William Shakespeare

2. To keep watch over, in order to prevent escape or restrain from acts of violence, or the like.

3. To protect the edge of, esp. 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.— William Shakespeare

4. To fasten by binding; to gird. obsolete Ben Jonson

Synonyms: To defend; protect; shield; keep; watch.

Guard (gärd), intransitive verb

To watch by way of caution or defense; to be cautious; to be in a state or position of defense or safety; as, careful persons guard against mistakes.

Guard noun

Origin: OF. guarde, F. garde; of German origin; cf. OHG. wart, warto, one who watches, warta a watching, Goth. wardja watchman. See Guard, transitive verb

1. One who, or that which, guards from injury, danger, exposure, or attack; defense; protection.

His greatness was no guard to bar heaven's shaft.— William Shakespeare

2. A man, or body of men, stationed to protect or control a person or position; a watch; a sentinel.

The guard which kept the door of the king's house.— Kings xiv. 27.

3. One who has charge of a mail coach or a railway train; a conductor. British

4. Any fixture or attachment designed to protect or secure against injury, soiling, or defacement, theft or loss; as: (a) That part of a sword hilt which protects the hand. (b) Ornamental lace or hem protecting the edge of a garment. (c) A chain or cord for fastening a watch to one's person or dress. (d) A fence or rail to prevent falling from the deck of a vessel. (e) An extension of the deck of a vessel beyond the hull; esp., in side-wheel steam vessels, the framework of strong timbers, which curves out on each side beyond the paddle wheel, and protects it and the shaft against collision. (f) A plate of metal, beneath the stock, or the lock frame, of a gun or pistol, having a loop, called a bow, to protect the trigger. (g) Bookbinding An interleaved strip at the back, as in a scrap book, to guard against its breaking when filled.

5. A posture of defense in fencing, and in bayonet and saber exercise.

6. An expression or admission intended to secure against objections or censure.

They have expressed themselves with as few guards and restrictions as I.— Francis Atterbury

7. Watch; heed; care; attention; as, to keep guard.

8. Zoology The fibrous sheath which covers the phragmacone of the Belemnites.

☞ Guard is often used adjectively or in combination; as, guard boat or guardboat; guardroom or guard room; guard duty.

Advanced guard, Coast guard, etc. See under Advanced, Coast, etc. — Grand guard Military, one of the posts of the second line belonging to a system of advance posts of an army. Dennis Hart Mahan — Guard boat. (a) A boat appointed to row the rounds among ships of war in a harbor, to see that their officers keep a good lookout. (b) A boat used by harbor authorities to enforce the observance of quarantine regulations. — Guard cells Botany, the bordering cells of stomates; they are crescent-shaped and contain chlorophyll. — Guard chamber, a guardroom. — Guard detail Military, men from a company regiment etc., detailed for guard duty. — Guard duty Military, the duty of watching patrolling, etc., performed by a sentinel or sentinels. — Guard lock Engineering, a tide lock at the mouth of a dock or basin. — Guard of honor Military, a guard appointed to receive or to accompany eminent persons. — Guard rail Railroads, a rail placed on the inside of a main rail, on bridges, at switches, etc., as a safeguard against derailment. — Guard ship, a war vessel appointed to superintend the marine affairs in a harbor, and also, in the English service, to receive seamen till they can be distributed among their respective ships. — Life guard Military, a body of select troops attending the person of a prince or high officer. — Off one's guard, in a careless state; inattentive; unsuspicious of danger. — On guard, serving in the capacity of a guard; doing duty as a guard or sentinel; watching. — On one's guard, in a watchful state; alert; vigilant. — To mount guard Military, to go on duty as a guard or sentinel. — To run the guard, to pass the watch or sentinel without leave.

Synonyms: Defense; shield; protection; safeguard; convoy; escort; care; attention; watch; heed.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

guard

<programming> 1. In functional programming, a Boolean expression attached to a function definition specifying when (for what arguments) that definition is appropriate.

2.In (parallel) logic programming, a Boolean expression which is used to select a clause from several alternative matching clauses.

See Guarded Horn Clauses.

3.In parallel languages, a Boolean expression which specifies when an message may be sent or received.

(1995-05-09)

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