guard

guard  (gärd)

v. guard·ed, guard·ing, guards

v.tr.

1. To protect from harm by or as if by watching over: guard a bank; guarding the President. See Synonyms at defend.

2. To watch over so as to prevent escape or violence: guarded the prisoner.

3. Sports To keep (an opposing player) from scoring or playing efficiently.

4. To maintain control over, as to prevent indiscretion: Guard what you say.

5. To supervise entry or exit through; keep watch at: guarded the door.

6. To furnish (a device or object) with a protective piece.

7. Archaic To escort.

v.intr.

1. To take precautions: guard against infection.

2. To serve as a guard.

n.

1. One who protects, keeps watch, or acts as a sentinel.

2. One who supervises prisoners.

3. An honor guard.

4. Chiefly British A railway employee in charge of a train.

5. Football One of the two offensive linemen on either side of the center.

6. Basketball Either of the two players normally positioned in the backcourt who are responsible for bringing the ball to and initiating offensive plays from the frontcourt.

7. Sports A defensive position or stance, as in boxing or fencing.

8.

a. The act or duty of guarding.

b. Protection; watch: a prisoner under close guard.

9. Something that gives protection; a safeguard: a guard against tooth decay.

10. A device or an attachment that prevents injury, damage, or loss, especially:

a. An attachment or a covering put on a machine to protect the operator or a part of the machine.

b. A device on a foil, sword, or knife that protects the hand.

c. A padded covering worn to protect a body part from injury: a shin guard.

d. A small chain or band attached to a watch or bracelet to prevent loss.

e. A ring worn to prevent a more valuable ring from sliding off the finger.

11. Electronics A signal that prevents accidental activation of a device or ambiguous interpretation of data.

Idioms:

off (one's) guard

Not alert; unprepared.

on (one's) guard

Alert and watchful; cautious.

stand guard

1. To keep watch.

2. To act as a sentinel.

---

[Middle English garden, from Old French garder, guarder, of Germanic origin; see wer-³ in Indo-European roots.]

---

guarder n.

---

guard

Verb

1. to watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect: US marines who guard the American embassy

2. to keep watch over (a prisoner) to prevent escape

3. to protect (a right or privilege)

4. to take precautions: to guard against a possible coup attempt

Noun

1. a person or group of people who protect or watch over people or things

2. Brit, Austral & NZ the official in charge of a train

3. a device or part of a machine designed to protect the user against injury

4. anything that provides protection: a guard against future shocks

5. off guard having one's defences down; unprepared: England were caught off guard as the Dutch struck two telling blows

6. on guard on duty to protect or watch over people or things

7. on one's guard prepared to face danger or difficulties: parents have been warned to be on their guard against kidnappers

8. stand guard (of a sentry) to keep watch [Old French garder to protect]

---

Guard a body of men positioned to protect or control, 1494. See also convoy, escort.

Examples: guard of angels, 1834; of patience, 1606.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	guard - a person who keeps watch over something or someone defender, guardian, protector, shielder - a person who cares for persons or property bouncer, chucker-out - a person whose duty is to throw troublemakers out of a bar or public meeting door guard, doorman, hall porter, ostiary, porter, gatekeeper, doorkeeper - someone who guards an entrance halberdier - a guard who carries a halberd (as a symbol of his duty) screener - a guard at an airport who checks passengers or their luggage at a security checkpoint security guard, watchman, watcher - a guard who keeps watch
	2.	guard - the person who plays that position on a football team; "the left guard was injured on the play" lineman - one of the players on the line of scrimmage
	3.	guard - a device designed to prevent injury or accidents safety device, safety device - an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose; "the device is small enough to wear on your wrist"; "a device intended to conserve water" fender - a low metal guard to confine falling coals to a hearth safety catch, safety lock - guard consisting of a locking device that prevents a weapon from being fired
	4.	guard - a posture of defence in boxing or fencing; "keep your guard up" posture, attitude, position - the arrangement of the body and its limbs; "he assumed an attitude of surrender"
	5.	guard - the person who plays the position of guard on a basketball team basketball player, basketeer, cager - an athlete who plays basketball
	6.	guard - a military unit serving to protect some place or person military force, military group, military unit, force - a unit that is part of some military service; "he sent Caesar a force of six thousand men" bodyguard - a group of men who escort and protect some important person home guard - a volunteer unit formed to defend the homeland while the regular army is fighting elsewhere territorial reserve, territorial - a territorial military unit bodyguard, escort - someone who escorts and protects a prominent person
	7.	guard - a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.; "he put an ice pack on the injury as a precaution"; "an insurance policy is a good safeguard"; "we let our guard down" precaution, safeguard measure, step - any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal; "the situation called for strong measures"; "the police took steps to reduce crime" backstop - a precaution in case of an emergency; "he acted as a backstop in case anything went wrong" security measures, security - measures taken as a precaution against theft or espionage or sabotage etc.; "military security has been stepped up since the recent uprising"
	8.	guard - the duty of serving as a sentry; "he was on guard that night" guard duty, sentry duty, sentry go assignment, duty assignment - a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces); "hazardous duty"
	9.	guard - (American football) a position on the line of scrimmage; "guards must be good blockers" lineman - (American football) the position of a player on a football team who is stationed on the line of scrimmage football team, eleven - a team that plays football
	10.	guard - a position on a basketball team position - (in team sports) the role assigned to an individual player; "what position does he play?" basketball team, five - a team that plays basketball
Verb	1.	guard - to keep watch over; "there would be men guarding the horses" patrol, police - maintain the security of by carrying out a patrol keep guard, stand guard, stand sentinel, stand watch - watch over so as to protect; "We must stand sentinel to protect ourselves"; "The jewels over which they kept guard were stolen" keep an eye on, watch over, watch, observe, follow - follow with the eyes or the mind; "Keep an eye on the baby, please!"; "The world is watching Sarajevo"; "She followed the men with the binoculars" baby-sit, sit - work or act as a baby-sitter; "I cannot baby-sit tonight; I have too much homework to do" baby-sit - take watchful responsibility for; "I baby-sit the neighbor's plants when she is out of town"
	2.	guard - watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect; "guard my possessions while I'm away" ward protect - shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage; "Weatherbeater protects your roof from the rain" shepherd - watch over like a shepherd, as a teacher of her pupils
	3.	guard - protect against a challenge or attack; "Hold that position behind the trees!"; "Hold the bridge against the enemy's attacks" defend, hold protect - shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage; "Weatherbeater protects your roof from the rain" hold - take and maintain control over, often by violent means; "The dissatisfied students held the President's office for almost a week"
	4.	guard - take precautions in order to avoid some unwanted consequence; "guard against becoming too friendly with the staff"; "guard against infection" act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel"

---

guard

verb 1. protect, watch, defend, secure, police, mind, cover, screen, preserve, shelter, shield, patrol, oversee, safeguard, watch over

noun 2. sentry, warder, warden, custodian, watch, patrol, lookout, watchman, sentinel

noun 3. escort, patrol, convoy

noun 4. shield, security, defence, screen, protection, pad, safeguard, bumper, buffer, rampart, bulwark >> off guard unprepared, napping, unwary, unready, with your defences down >> on (your) guard vigilant, cautious, wary, prepared, ready, alert, watchful, on the lookout, circumspect, on the alert, on the qui vive >> adjective custodial

---

1. A form of security operation whose primary task is to protect the main force by fighting to gain time while also observing and reporting information, and to prevent enemy ground observation of and direct fire against the main body by reconnoitering, attacking, defending, and delaying. A guard force normally operates within the range of the main body's indirect fire weapons.
2. A radio frequency that is normally used for emergency transmissions and is continuously monitored. UHF band: 243.0 MHZ; VHF band: 121.5 MHZ. See also cover; flank guard; screen.
3. A military or civilian individual assigned to protect personnel, equipment, or installations, or to oversee a prisoner.

Translations

guard [gɑːd] n → guardia;

(person) → guarda m/f;

(BRIT) (RAIL) → jefe m de tren;

(safety device) (on machine) → cubierta de protección (= protection); protección f (= fireguard); pantalla (= mudguard); guardabarros m inv

vt → guardar;

to guard (against or from) → proteger (de);

to be on one's guard (fig) → estar en guardia

guard against vi to guard against doing sth → guardarse de hacer algo

---

guard [gɑːd] n → garde f, surveillance f (= squad) (Boxing, Fencing) → garde f (= one man); garde m;

(Brit) (Rail) → chef m de train (= safety device) (on machine) → dispositif m de sûreté;

(also: fireguard) → garde-feu m inv

vt → garder, surveiller (= protect);

to guard sb/sth (against or from) → protéger qn/qch (contre);

to be on one's guard (fig) → être sur ses gardes

guard against vi to guard against doing sth → se garder de faire qch

---

guard [gɑːd] n → Wache f;

(Boxing, Fencing) → Deckung f;

(Brit) (Rail) → Schaffner(in) m(f);

(on machine) → Schutz m, Schutzvorrichtung f;

(also: fireguard) → (Schutz)gitter nt

vt (prisoner) → bewachen;

(protect);

to guard (against) → (be)schützen (vor +dat);

(secret) → hüten (vor +dat);

to be on one's guard → auf der Hut sein

guard against guard vt fus (disease) → vorbeugen +dat;

(damage, accident) → verhüten

---

guard [gɑːd] n → guardia (= protection); riparo, protezione f;

(BOXING) → difesa (= one man); guardia, sentinella;

(BRIT ) (RAIL) → capotreno (= safety device) (on machine) → schermo protettivo;

(also: fire guard) → parafuoco

vt → fare la guardia a;

to guard (against or from) → proteggere (da), salvaguardare (da);

to be on one's guard (fig) → stare in guardia

guard against vi to guard against doing sth → guardarsi dal fare qc