English
warden
see also: Warden
Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈwɔːdən/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈwɔɹdən/
Noun

warden (plural wardens)

  1. (archaic or literary) A guard or watchman.
    • 1820, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, 4th American edition, Philadelphia: Thomas Desilver, 1823, Volume 2, Chapter 4,
      He called to the wardens on the outside battlements. [The original (UK) editions read warders rather than wardens.]
  2. A chief administrative officer of a prison.
    • 1934, Nathanael West, A Cool Million, Chapter 7,
      The warden of the state prison, Ezekiel Purdy, was a kind man if stern. He invariably made all newcomers a little speech of welcome […]
  3. An official charged with supervisory duties or with the enforcement of specific laws or regulations; such as a game warden or air-raid warden
  4. A governing official in various institutions
    the warden of a college
  5. A variety of pear.
    • c. 1608, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, Cupid’s Revenge, Act II, Scene 1,
      Faith I would have had him rosted like a warden in a brown Paper, and no more talk on’t:
    • c. 1610, William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale, Act IV, Scene 3,
      I must have saffron to colour the warden pies;
    • 1625, Francis Bacon, “Of Gardens” in Essays, London: Hanna Barret, p. 269,
      In September, come Grapes; Apples; Poppies of all colours; Peaches; Melo-Cotones; Nectarines; Cornelians; Wardens; Quinces.
    • 1903, E. Bartrum, The Book of Pears and Plums, London: John Lane, p. 30,
      Wardens, a name given to pears which never melt, are long keeping, and used for cooking only. The name comes from the Cistercian Abbey of Warden in Beds. Parkinson’s Warden is now Black Worcester. There are Spanish, White and Red Wardens.
Translations Translations Verb

warden (wardens, present participle wardening; past and past participle wardened)

  1. To carry out the duties of a warden.
Warden
Proper noun
  1. Surname for a warden.


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