sentinel

[ sen-tn-l ]

/ ˈsɛn tn l /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sentinel ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person or thing that watches or stands as if watching.

a soldier stationed as a guard to challenge all comers and prevent a surprise attack: to stand sentinel.

Digital Technology. tag¹(def 9a).

verb (used with object), sen·ti·neled, sen·ti·nel·ing or (especially British) sen·ti·nelled, sen·ti·nel·ling.

to watch over or guard as a sentinel.

Nearby words

Origin of sentinel

1570–80; < Middle French sentinelle < Italian sentinella, derivative of Old Italian sentina vigilance (Latin sent(īre) to observe) + -īna -ine²)

SYNONYMS FOR sentinel

1, 2. sentry, guard, watch, lookout.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sentinel ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formssen·ti·nel·like, adjectivesen·ti·nel·ship, nounun·sen·ti·neled, adjectiveun·sen·ti·nelled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sentinel

A web promotion for X-Men: Days of Future Past indicated that the character had been killed by a Sentinel in 2011.
X-Men’s Post-Credits Apocalypse Scene Explained|Rich Goldstein|May 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That might have been what happened to the Sentinel that landed in Iran.
Aerial Drones May Be Vulnerable to Sabotage Because of GPS|Tara McKelvey|December 17, 2011|DAILY BEAST
They may be taking some action in the future, given the weaknesses that appear to have been exposed in the Sentinel.
Aerial Drones May Be Vulnerable to Sabotage Because of GPS|Tara McKelvey|December 17, 2011|DAILY BEAST
When Johnston talks about the failure of the Sentinel in Iran, he sounds frustrated.
Aerial Drones May Be Vulnerable to Sabotage Because of GPS|Tara McKelvey|December 17, 2011|DAILY BEAST

A sentinel is present 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, including holidays.
Washington Institution Defies Hurricane|Laura Colarusso|August 26, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He was in the midst of a story, all life and animation, when the gruff words of the sentinel broke in so abruptly upon him.
The Frontier Angel|Edward S. Ellis
She shortly revived, and sitting up, her head against the sentinel's shoulder, told us her story.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 86, December, 1864|Various
"They're coming," shouted Robert, but his voice was lost, for the sentinel at the gate had heard also.
The Shadow of Victory|Myrtle Reed
Mike now assumed a manner of mysterious importance, laying a finger on his nose, and pointing towards the sentinel and Jamie.
Wyandotte|James Fenimore Cooper
The sentinel discovers with alarm the sudden approach of the enemy; the unarmed villagers view it with affright.
English Synonyms and Antonyms|James Champlin Fernald

British Dictionary definitions for sentinel

sentinel

/ (ˈsɛntɪnəl) /

noun

a person, such as a sentry, assigned to keep guard

computing a character used to indicate the beginning or end of a particular block of information

verb -nels, -nelling or -nelled (tr)

to guard as a sentinel

to post as a sentinel

to provide with a sentinel

Word Origin for sentinel

C16: from Old French sentinelle, from Old Italian sentinella, from sentina watchfulness, from sentire to notice, from Latin

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

Word Origin and History for sentinel

sentinel

1570s, from Middle French sentinelle (16c.), from Italian sentinella "a sentinel." OED says "No convincing etymology of the It. word has been proposed," but perhaps (via a notion of "perceive, watch"), from sentire "to hear," from Latin sentire "feel, perceive by the senses" (see sense (n.)).