night watchman
Americannoun
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Cricket. a batsman who is sent in to bat just before the end of a day's play and continues his innings on the next day of play.
noun
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Also called: night watch. a person who keeps guard at night on a factory, public building, etc
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cricket a batsman sent in to bat to play out time when a wicket has fallen near the end of a day's play
Etymology
Origin of night watchman
First recorded in 1860–65
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.
At the time of the record destruction, which was revealed by a night watchman who saw it happening and saved some documents, UBS was under scrutiny for its wartime activities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026
A night watchman alone would not make or break a new development, but this is one of many such provisions, often motivated by fire safety, that stack up in the code every three years.
From Slate ● Feb. 28, 2025
Last month, Richard Abath, the night watchman who mistakenly allowed in the thieves, died at 57.
From New York Times ● Mar. 18, 2024
It was while working as a night watchman on a dive boat that Reginald was encouraged to venture into the water.
From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2023
But the night watchman of the Eiffel Tower, and some passengers who land in an airplane, are mysteriously able to move around the silent city.
From "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
