Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Ward
Ward
,Noun.
1.
The act of guarding; watch; guard; guardianship; specifically, a guarding during the day. See the Note under , 1.
Watch
, Noun.
Still, when she slept, he kept both watch and
ward
. Spenser.
2.
One who, or that which, guards; garrison; defender; protector; means of guarding; defense; protection.
For the best
ward
of mine honor. Shakespeare
The assieged castle’s
Their steadfast stands did mightily maintain.
ward
Their steadfast stands did mightily maintain.
Spenser.
For want of other
He lifted up his hand, his front to guard.
ward
,He lifted up his hand, his front to guard.
Dryden.
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
. Shakespeare
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.
A guarding or defensive motion or position, as in fencing; guard.
“Thou knowest my old ward; here I lay, and thus I bore my point.” Shak.
5.
One who, or that which, is guarded.
Specifically: –(a)
A minor or person under the care of a guardian;
“You know our father's ward, the fair Monimia.” as, a
. ward
in chanceryOtway.
(b)
A division of a county.
[Eng. & Scot.]
(c)
A division, district, or quarter of a town or city.
Throughout the trembling city placed a guard,
Dealing an equal share to every
Dealing an equal share to every
ward
. Dryden.
(d)
A division of a forest.
[Eng.]
(e)
A division of a hospital;
as, a fever
. ward
6.
(a)
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.
(b)
A notch or slit in a key corresponding to a ridge in the lock which it fits; a ward notch.
Knight.
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.
Ward penny
(O. Eng. Law)
, money paid to the sheriff or castellan for watching and warding a castle.
– Ward staff
, a constable's or watchman's staff.
[Obs.]
Ward
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Warded
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Warding
.] [OE. , and cf.
wardien
, AS. weardian
to keep, protect; akin to OS. ward[GREEK]n
to watch, take care, OFries. wardia
, OHG. wart[GREEK]n
, G. warten
to wait, wait on, attend to, Icel. var[GREEK]a
to guarantee defend, Sw. vårda
to guard, to watch; cf. OF. warder
, of German origin. See Ward
, Noun.
Award
, Guard
, Reward
.] 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
To
ward
the same. Spenser.
2.
To defend; to protect.
Tell him it was a hand that
From thousand dangers.
warded
himFrom thousand dangers.
Shakespeare
3.
To defend by walls, fortifications, etc.
[Obs.]
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.
Ward
,Verb.
I.
1.
To be vigilant; to keep guard.
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.
Webster 1828 Edition
Ward
WARD
, in composition, as in toward, homeward, is the Saxon weard, from the root of L.WARD
,Verb.
T.
1.
To guard; to deep in safety; to watch. Whose gates he found fast shut, he living wight to ward the same--
[In this sense, ward is obsolete, as we have adopted the French of the same word, to guard. We now never apply ward to the thing to be defended, but always to the thing against which it is to be defended. We ward off a blow or dagger, and we guard a person or place.]
2.
To defend; to protect.Tell him it was a hand that warded him from thousand dangers. [Obs. See the remark, supra.]
3.
To fend off; to repel; to turn aside any thing mischievous that approaches.Now wards a falling blow, now strikes again.
The pointed javlin warded off his rage.
It instructs the scholar in the various methods of warding off the force of objections.
[This is the present use of ward. To ward off is now the more general expression, nor can I, with Johnson, think it less elegant.]
WARD
,Verb.
I.
1.
To be vigilant; to keep guard.2.
To act on the defensive with a weapon.She drove the stranger to no other shift, than to ward and go back.
And on their warding arms light bucklers bear.
WARD
,Noun.
1.
Watch; act of guarding.Still when she slept, he kept both watch and ward.
2.
Garrison; troops to defend a fort; as small wards left in forts. [Not in use.]3.
Guard made by a weapon in fencing.For want of other ward, he lifted up his hand his front to guard.
4.
A fortress; a strong hold.5.
One whose business is to guard, watch and defend; as a fire-ward.6.
A certain district, division or quarter of a town or city, committed to an alderman. There are twenty six wards in London.7.
Custody; confinement under guard. Pharaoh put his butler and baker in ward. Genesis 40.8.
A minor or person under the care of a guardian. See Blackstones chapter on the rights and duties of guardian and ward.9.
The state of a child under a guardian.I must attend his majestys commands, to whom I am now in ward.
10.
Guardianship; right over orphans.It is convenient in Ireland, that the wards and marriages of gentlemens children should be in the disposal of any of those lords.
11.
The division of a forest.12.
The division of a hospital.13.
A part of a lock which corresponds to its proper key.