Main Entry:

¹ward

Pronunciation:

\ˈwȯrd\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English weard & Anglo-French warde, garde, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German warta act of watching, Old English warian to beware of, guard, wær careful — more at guard, wary

Date:

before 12th century

1 a: the action or process of guarding b: a body of guards2: the state of being under guard ; especially : custody3 a: the inner court of a castle or fortress b: a division (as a cell or block) of a prison c: a division in a hospital ; especially : a large room in a hospital where a number of patients often requiring similar treatment are accommodated4 a: a division of a city for representative, electoral, or administrative purposes b: a division of some English and Scottish counties corresponding to a hundred c: the Mormon local congregation having auxiliary organizations (as Sunday schools and relief societies) and one or more quorums of each office of the Aaronic priesthood5: a projecting ridge of metal in a lock casing or keyhole permitting only the insertion of a key with a corresponding notch ; also : a corresponding notch in a bit of a key6: a person or thing under guard, protection, or surveillance: as a: a minor subject to wardship b: a person who by reason of incapacity (as minority or mental illness) is under the protection of a court either directly or through a guardian appointed by the court —called also ward of court c: a person or body of persons under the protection or tutelage of a government 7: a means of defense : protection