sentry

[sen-tree]

noun

plural

sentries 

1. a soldier stationed at a place to stand guard and prevent the passage of unauthorized persons, watch for fires, etc., especially a sentinel stationed at a pass, gate, opening in a defense work, or the like.

2. a member of a guard or watch.

sentry

/ ˈsɛntrɪ /

noun

1. a soldier who guards or prevents unauthorized access to a place, keeps watch for danger, etc

2. the watch kept by a sentry

Word History and Origins

Origin of sentry¹

1605–15; short for sentrinel, variant of sentinel

Word History and Origins

Origin of sentry¹

C17: perhaps shortened from obsolete centrinel, C16 variant of _sentinel

Example Sentences

Immune cells act like vigilant sentries, moving through tissues and detecting remaining cancer cells that could lead to relapse.

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Called 'Piranhas', the work includes spray-painted fish on a police sentry box in the City of London.

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Even the death penalty isn't off the table - not just for murder or mutiny, but for damaging an oil or gas pipeline or a sentry caught sleeping on duty.

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Early previews have been positive, but in today's unpredictable video games market you can't count your shurikens until they've knocked out a sentry in a perfect takedown, preferably millions of times.

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The City of London Corporation said the other painted on 11 August - swimming piranhas on a City of London Police sentry box - had been taken to Guildhall Yard so it could be viewed safely.

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Related Words

• sentinel