Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A man who is employed to stand guard or keep watch.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A person set to keep watch; specifically, a sentinel; a guard; one who guards the streets of a city by night; also, one set to keep guard, as over a building in the night, to protect it from fire or thieves.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One set to watch; a person who keeps guard; a guard; a sentinel.
  • noun Specifically, one who guards a building, or the streets of a city, by night.
  • noun (Zoöl.) the European dor.
  • noun a watchman's detector in which the apparatus for recording the times of visiting several stations is contained within a single clock.
  • noun an apparatus for recording the time when a watchman visits a station on his rounds.
  • noun an instrument having at the end of a handle a revolving arm, which, by the action of a strong spring upon cogs, produces, when in motion, a loud, harsh, rattling sound.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A guard who keeps watch

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a guard who keeps watch

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • When a watchman is absent, or remiss, or bribed, the stream is turned out of its course, and every one helps himself or fills his cistern.

    Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia 1856

  • One of the most important functions of the watchman is to be seen from the street with my evil looking dog.

    Telmex (detached thread) 2010

  • One of the most important functions of the watchman is to be seen from the street with my evil looking dog.

    Telmex (detached thread) 2010

  • One of the most important functions of the watchman is to be seen from the street with my evil looking dog.

    Telmex (detached thread) 2010

  • One of the most important functions of the watchman is to be seen from the street with my evil looking dog.

    Telmex (detached thread) 2010

  • One of the most important functions of the watchman is to be seen from the street with my evil looking dog.

    Telmex (detached thread) 2010

  • One of the most important functions of the watchman is to be seen from the street with my evil looking dog.

    Telmex (detached thread) 2010

  • One of the most important functions of the watchman is to be seen from the street with my evil looking dog.

    Telmex (detached thread) 2010

  • One of the most important functions of the watchman is to be seen from the street with my evil looking dog.

    Telmex (detached thread) 2010

  • One of the most important functions of the watchman is to be seen from the street with my evil looking dog.

    Telmex (detached thread) 2010

Comments

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  • 03.06.09. Not an ad - I just really want to see this flick!

    February 27, 2009

  • *Cough cough* Watchmen

    March 5, 2009