suicide watch

[ soo-uh-sahyd woch ]

/ ˈsu əˌsaɪd ˌwɒtʃ /

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noun

a system of regular checking on prison inmates or psychiatric patients who are believed to be suicidal: The prisoner was on suicide watch, but somehow managed to hang himself.

close observation or supervision of someone in order to prevent suicide: We took turns staying at her place, on suicide watch until she was able to get professional help.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of suicide watch

First recorded in 1925–30

Words nearby suicide watch

suicide bomber, suicide clause, suicide machine, suicide pact, suicide squeeze, suicide watch, suicidology, sui generis, sui juris, suimate, suint

How to use suicide watch in a sentence

The most obvious response to this—that the facility should have put Castro back on suicide watch—is not as simple as it sounds.
Ariel Castro and the Grim Reality of Prison Suicides|Brandy Zadrozny|September 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In fact, he says, being on suicide watch can make the possibility of self-harm more likely.
Ariel Castro and the Grim Reality of Prison Suicides|Brandy Zadrozny|September 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“It is unheard of for someone to be on suicide watch for nine months,” Haney said.
Extreme Solitary Confinement: What Did Bradley Manning Experience?|Caitlin Dickson|June 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Why was he not on a suicide watch, his movements monitored on CCTV?
Cheated by Death: No Euphoria in Ram Singh’s Hanging|Dilip D’Souza|March 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST

As Sandusky sits under suicide watch at a county jail, his lawyers have vowed an appeal.
Sandusky Guilty Verdict: What's Next for Jerry|Diane Dimond|June 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for suicide watch

suicide watch

noun

a round-the-clock watch by warders on a prisoner considered to be in danger of harming him- or herself

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