guard Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a person who keeps watch over something or someone
  2. noun the person who plays that position on a football team
    • the left guard was injured on the play
  3. noun a device designed to prevent injury or accidents
    safety; safety device.
  4. noun a posture of defence in boxing or fencing
    • keep your guard up
  5. noun the person who plays the position of guard on a basketball team
  6. noun a military unit serving to protect some place or person
  7. noun a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.
    safeguard; precaution.
    • he put an ice pack on the injury as a precaution
    • an insurance policy is a good safeguard
    • we let our guard down
  8. noun the duty of serving as a sentry
    sentry go; guard duty; sentry duty.
    • he was on guard that night
  9. noun (American football) a position on the line of scrimmage
    • guards must be good blockers
  10. noun a position on a basketball team
  11. verb to keep watch over
    • there would be men guarding the horses
  12. verb watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect
    ward.
    • guard my possessions while I'm away
  13. verb protect against a challenge or attack
    defend; hold.
    • Hold that position behind the trees!
    • Hold the bridge against the enemy's attacks
  14. verb take precautions in order to avoid some unwanted consequence
    • guard against becoming too friendly with the staff
    • guard against infection

WordNet

Guard transitive verb
Etymology
OF. guarder, garder, warder, F. garder, fr. OHG. wartn to be on the watch, await, G. marten. See Ward, v. & n., and cf. Guard, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Guarded; present participle &, verbal noun Gurding
Definitions
  1. To protect from danger; to secure against surprise, attack, or injury; to keep in safety; to defend; to shelter; to shield from surprise or attack; to protect by attendance; toaccompany for protection; to vare for.
    For Heaven still guards the right. Shak.
  2. To keep watch over, in order to prevent escape or restrain from acts of violence, or the like.
  3. To protect the edge of, esp. with an ornamental border; hence, to face or ornament with lists, laces, etc.
    The body of your discourse it sometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but slightly basted on neither. Shak.
  4. To fasten by binding; to gird. Obs. B. Jonson. Syn. -- To defend, protect, shield; keep; watch.
Guard intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To watch by way of caution or defense; to be caution; to be in a state or position of defense or safety; as, careful persons guard against mistakes.
Guard noun
Etymology
OF. guarde, F. garde; of German origin; cf. OHG. wart, marto, one who watches, mata a watching, Goth. wardja watchman. See Guard, v. t.
Definitions
  1. One who, or that which, guards from injury, danger, exposure, or attack; defense; protection.
    His greatness was no guard to bar heaven's shaft. Shak.
  2. A man, or body of men, stationed to protect or control a person or position; a watch; a sentinel.
    The guard which kept the door of the king's house. Kings xiv. 27.
  3. One who has charge of a mail coach or a railway train; a conductor. Eng.
  4. Any fixture or attachment designed to protect or secure against injury, soiling, or defacement, theft or loss; as: (a) That part of a sword hilt which protects the hand. (b) Ornamental lace or hem protecting the edge of a garment. (c) A chain or cord for fastening a watch to one's person or dress. (d) A fence or rail to prevent falling from the deck of a vessel. (e) An extension of the deck of a vessel beyond the hull; esp., in side-wheel steam vessels, the framework of strong timbers, which curves out on each side beyond the paddle wheel, and protects it and the shaft against collision. (f) A plate of metal, beneath the stock, or the lock frame, of a gun or pistol, having a loop, called a bow, to protect the trigger. (g) (Bookbinding) An interleaved strip at the back, as in a scrap book, to guard against its breaking when filled.
  5. A posture of defense in fencing, and in bayonet and saber exercise.
  6. An expression or admission intended to secure against objections or censure.
    They have expressed themselves with as few guards and restrictions as I. Atterbury.
  7. Watch; heed; care; attention; as, to keep guard.
  8. (Zoöl.) The fibrous sheath which covers the phragmacone of the Belemnites. ✍ Guard is often used adjectively or in combination; as, guard boat or guardboat; guardroom or guard room; guard duty. Syn. -- Defense; shield; protection; safeguard; convoy; escort; care; attention; watch; heed.

Webster 1913