guard
see also: Guard
Pronunciation Noun

guard (plural guards)

  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.
  2. (Ireland) A garda; a police officer.
    • 2016, Anastasia Dukova, A History of the Dublin Metropolitan Police and its Colonial Legacy, Springer (ISBN 9781137555823), page 139
      The Garda Regulations 1924 required a candidate for appointment as a guard to be able to produce satisfactory references as to his character
  3. (military) A squad responsible for protecting something.
    The president inspected the guard of honour.
  4. The part of a sword that protects the wielder's hand.
  5. A part of a machine which blocks access to dangerous parts.
    The motorcycle mechanic removed the damaged chain guard.
  6. A watchchain.
  7. (Australia) A panel of a car that encloses the wheel area, especially the front wheels.
  8. (uncountable) A state of caution; posture of defence.
  9. Something worn to protect part of the body, e.g. the shins in cricket.
  10. (basketball) A relatively short player, playing farther from the basket than a forward or center.
  11. (cricket) The position on the popping crease where a batsman makes a mark to align himself with the wicket; see take guard.
  12. (American football) Either of two offensive positions between the center and each of the offensive tackles, whose main responsibilities are to protect the quarterback, and open up "holes" through which offensive players can run.
  13. (sports) A player playing a position named guard.
  14. (rail) An employee, normally travelling in the last vehicle of a train, responsible for the safety of the train.
    • 1938, Xavier Herbert, Capricornia, New York: D. Appleton-Century, 1943, Chapter IX, p. 141,
      When an engineer wished to stop a swiftly moving train he had first to whistle to the guard requesting him to apply the hand-brake of the van, and then apply the hand-brake of the engine. Guards did not always hear.
  15. (computing, programming) A Boolean expression that must evaluate to true for a branch of program execution to continue.
Synonyms
  • (the part of a sword that protects the wielder's hand) quillon
  • (part of machine blocking dangerous parts) protection
  • (panel of a car enclosing a wheel) fender
Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

guard (guards, present participle guarding; past and past participle guarded)

  1. To protect from danger; to secure against surprise, attack, or injury; to keep in safety; to defend.
    • 1595 December 9 (first known performance)​, William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene ii]:
      For Heaven still guards the right.
  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 caution; 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.
    • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act I, scene i]:
      The body of your discourse is sometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but slightly basted on neither.
  5. To fasten by binding; to gird.
Translations Translations Translations
  • Italian: fare attenzione

Guard
Proper noun
  1. Surname



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