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night watchman

American  
Or night-watchman

noun

  1. watchman.

  2. 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.


night watchman British  

noun

  1. Also called: night watch.  a person who keeps guard at night on a factory, public building, etc

  2. cricket a batsman sent in to bat to play out time when a wicket has fallen near the end of a day's play

"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 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.

See Examples For:

Reyne took over as night watchman, with his tent on the asphalt in the parking lot behind.

From Slate Mar. 25, 2026

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

Prosecutors said the captain failed to have a night watchman or conduct fire drills as required by law.

From BBC Nov. 7, 2023

He is accused of failing to train his crew, conduct fire drills and post a roving night watchman on the boat when the fire ignited.

From Seattle Times Nov. 10, 2022

A night watchman opened the door and, possibly because he spotted the other boys, slammed it shut.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

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