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Entry 17 senses · 3 variants Webster, 1913

Ward

/wôrd/ · IPA /wɔɹd/
01 n. The act of guarding; watch; guard; guardianship; specifically, a guarding during the day. See the Note under Watch, n., 1.
  1. 1.
    The act of guarding; watch; guard; guardianship; specifically, a guarding during the day. See the Note under Watch, n., 1. See: Watch
    “Still, when she slept, he kept both watch and ward.” — Spenser.
  2. 2.
    One who, or that which, guards; garrison; defender; protector; means of guarding; defense; protection.
    “For the best ward of mine honor.” — Shak.
    “The assieged castle's ward Their steadfast stands did mightily maintain.” — Spenser.
    “For want of other ward, He lifted up his hand, his front to guard.” — Dryden.
  3. 3.
    The state of being under guard or guardianship; confinement under guard; the condition of a child under a guardian; custody.
    “And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard.” — Gen. xl. 3.
    “I must attend his majesty's command, to whom I am now in ward.” — Shak.
    “It is also inconvenient, in Ireland, that the wards and marriages of gentlemen's children should be in the disposal of any of those lords.” — Spenser.
  4. 4.
    A guarding or defensive motion or position, as in fencing; guard.
  5. 5.
    One who, or that which, is guarded.
  6. 6.
    A minor or person under the care of a guardian; as, a ward in chancery.
  7. 7.
    A division of a county.[Eng. & Scot.]
  8. 8.
    A division, district, or quarter of a town or city.
    “Throughout the trembling city placed a guard, Dealing an equal share to every ward.” — Dryden.
  9. 9.
    A division of a forest.[Eng.]
  10. 10.
    A division of a hospital; as, a fever ward.
  11. 11.
    A projecting ridge of metal in the interior of a lock, to prevent the use of any key which has not a corresponding notch for passing it.
    “The lock is made . . . more secure by attaching wards to the front, as well as to the back, plate of the lock, in which case the key must be furnished with corresponding notches.” — Tomlinson.
Phrases & compounds
Ward penny — money paid to the sheriff or castellan for watching and warding a castle.
Ward staff — a constable's or watchman's staff.
02 v. t. To keep in safety; to watch; to guard; formerly, in a specific sense, to guard during the day time.
imp. & p. p. Warded; p. pr. & vb. n. Warding
  1. 1.
    To keep in safety; to watch; to guard; formerly, in a specific sense, to guard during the day time.
    “Whose gates he found fast shut, no living wight To ward the same.” — Spenser.
  2. 2.
    To defend; to protect.
    “Tell him it was a hand that warded him From thousand dangers.” — Shak.
  3. 3.
    To defend by walls, fortifications, etc.[Obs.]
  4. 4.
    To fend off; to repel; to turn aside, as anything mischievous that approaches; -- usually followed by off.
    “Now wards a felling blow, now strikes again.” — Daniel.
    “The pointed javelin warded off his rage.” — Addison.
    “It instructs the scholar in the various methods of warding off the force of objections.” — I. Watts.
03 v. i. To be vigilant; to keep guard.
  1. 1.
    To be vigilant; to keep guard.
  2. 2.
    To act on the defensive with a weapon.
    “She redoubling her blows drove the stranger to no other shift than to ward and go back.” — Sir P. Sidney.