middle watch

American

noun

Nautical.

the watch from midnight until 4 a.m.

middle watch British

noun

nautical the watch between midnight and 4 am

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of middle watch

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Answer: Judges 7: 19 refers to "the middle watch."

From Time Magazine Archive

I was keeping the middle watch on a beautiful night, when a fine light breeze filled all the small kites, and the weather was looking remarkably steady and clear.

From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 12 by Various

Then, just after two bells in the middle watch, I heard breakers.

From Fire Mountain A Thrilling Sea Story by Springer, Norman

About two bells in the middle watch the Icebear struck.

From In the Land of the Great Snow Bear A Tale of Love and Heroism by Stables, Gordon

He therefore calmly ordered every rag to be set that he thought the little brig would bear, and kept steadily on, trusting the wind would die away to a light breeze after the middle watch.

From Graham's Magazine Vol XXXIII No. 5 November 1848 by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023