watchman

noun

watch·​man ˈwäch-mən How to pronounce watchman (audio)
ˈwȯch-
: a person who keeps watch : guard

Examples of watchman in a Sentence

A watchman stopped them at the gate. hired a watchman to patrol the factory at night
Recent Examples on the Web Following an altercation—one that a 911 dispatcher urged the overly zealous neighborhood watchman to avoid—Martin lay on the ground, shot dead by a single bullet that traversed his heart and lung. Cedric Dark, WIRED, 14 Sep. 2024 Something for New Yorkers to keep in mind while watching their watchmen ahead of next year’s city elections. Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, 27 July 2024 Beyond the reach of China’s censors and watchmen, posters featuring Peng’s slogans spread on campuses and streets all over the world. Han Zhang, The New Yorker, 11 June 2024 Henderson’s first jobs, perhaps not surprisingly, were as a watchman. Joe Sexton, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for watchman 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'watchman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of watchman was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near watchman

Cite this Entry

“Watchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/watchman. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

watchman

noun
watch·​man -mən How to pronounce watchman (audio)
: a person assigned to watch : guard

More from Merriam-Webster on watchman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!