watch
to be alertly on the lookout, look attentively, or observe, as to see what comes, is done, or happens: to watch while an experiment is performed.
to look or wait attentively and expectantly (usually followed by for): to watch for a signal; to watch for an opportunity.
to be careful or cautious: Watch when you cross the street.
to keep awake, especially for a purpose; remain vigilant, as for protection or safekeeping: to watch with a sick person.
to keep vigil, as for devotional purposes.
to keep guard: She was assigned to watch at the door.
to keep under attentive view or observation, as in order to see or learn something; view attentively or with interest: to watch a play; to watch a football game.
to contemplate or regard mentally: to watch his progress.
to look or wait attentively and expectantly for: to watch one's opportunity.
to guard, tend, or oversee, especially for protection or safekeeping: to watch the baby.
close, continuous observation for the purpose of seeing or discovering something: Their watch for the birds was unrewarding.
vigilant guard, as for protection or restraint: to keep watch for prowlers.
a keeping awake for some special purpose: a watch beside a sickbed.
a period of time for watching or keeping guard: to stand the first watch.
a small, portable timepiece, as a wrist watch or pocket watch.
a chronometer.
Nautical.
a period of time, usually four hours, during which one part of a ship's crew is on duty, taking turns with another part.
the officers and crew who attend to the working of a ship for an allotted period of time.
one of the periods, usually three or four, into which the night was divided in ancient times, as by the Greeks or Hebrews: the fourth watch of the night.
a person or group that watches, as a lookout, guard, or sentinel: A watch was posted at sunset.
Also called storm watch. Meteorology. an announcement from the U.S. National Weather Service alerting the public that dangerous weather conditions are a possibility and that vigilance and precautionary preparations are advised: hurricane watch;tornado watch.: Compare advisory (def. 5), warning (def. 3).
a flock of nightingales.
watch out, to be on one's guard; be cautious: Watch out for cars when you cross the road.
watch over, to guard for protection or safekeeping: She watched over us like a mother hen over her brood.
Idioms about watch
Origin of watch
1synonym study For watch
Other words for watch
Other words from watch
- un·watched, adjective
- un·watch·ing, adjective
- well-watched, adjective
Words Nearby watch
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use watch in a sentence
To take an SpO2 reading, there’s an app on the watch that triggers the 15-second process.
Apple Watch Series 6 first impressions: A stretchy addition looks great | Aaron Pressman | September 17, 2020 | FortuneThe new program is a boon to Apple since it’s an added incentive for Singaporeans to purchase the brand’s watch.
One country is now paying citizens to exercise with their Apple Watch | Naomi Xu Elegant | September 16, 2020 | FortuneSmart watches and fitness trackers have transformed the world of exercise, spawning a generation of active tech users.
Smart Watches Could Do More For Wheelchair Users | John Loeppky | September 4, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightAmazon says that the watch will intermittently listen throughout the day, or you can specifically trigger it to listen for up to 30 minutes by pressing the button.
Amazon’s new fitness tracker listens to your voice to figure out your mood | Stan Horaczek | September 2, 2020 | Popular-ScienceI run with an Apple watch and AirPods, because the watch stores my running playlist.
I Don't Fear Scorching Runs with This Hydration Belt | Jakob Schiller | August 28, 2020 | Outside Online
Clad in a blue, striped button-down, a silver watch adorning his left wrist, Huckabee beams on the cover.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner! | Olivia Nuzzi | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTPeople watch night soaps because the genre allows them to believe in a world where people just react off their baser instincts.
‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist | Judnick Mayard | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTI watch every episode alone on my couch and I just sit there and laugh, and laugh.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness | Marlow Stern | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTAngry Birds at its simplest was the same way, though you wanted to watch things collapse and explode.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art | Alec Kubas-Meyer | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe inability to do anything besides binge-watch entire seasons on Netflix.
I seized the opportunity to watch what I supposed would be a most interesting interview, from behind a curtain.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsHe produced a watch and studied it frowningly, then dismissed us and the recital of our troubles with a ponderous gesture.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairHe is a hypochondriac now and would keep a close watch on his heir's health and habits; you may be sure of that.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonHe heard Mohammedans alluding to a Brahmin as a leader—so might a wolf and a snake make common alliance against a watch dog.
The Red Year | Louis TracyHis duty it was to stand at the head of the scalding trough, watch in hand, to "time" the length of the scald, crying "Hog in!"
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various
British Dictionary definitions for watch (1 of 2)
/ (wɒtʃ) /
to look at or observe closely or attentively
(intr foll by for) to wait attentively or expectantly
to guard or tend (something) closely or carefully
(intr) to keep vigil
(tr) to maintain an interest in: to watch the progress of a child at school
watch it! be careful! look out!
a small portable timepiece, usually worn strapped to the wrist (a wristwatch) or in a waistcoat pocket
(as modifier): a watch spring
the act or an instance of watching
a period of vigil, esp during the night
(formerly) one of a set of periods of any of various lengths into which the night was divided
nautical
any of the usually four-hour periods beginning at midnight and again at noon during which part of a ship's crew are on duty
those officers and crew on duty during a specified watch
the period during which a guard is on duty
(formerly) a watchman or band of watchmen
on the watch on the lookout; alert
Origin of watch
1- See also watch out
British Dictionary definitions for -watch (2 of 2)
indicating a regular television programme or newspaper feature on the topic specified: Crimewatch
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with watch
In addition to the idioms beginning with watch
- watched pot never boils, a
- watch it
- watch like a hawk
- watch my dust
- watch one's step
- watch out
- watch over
also see:
- keep watch
- look (watch) out
- on the lookout (watch)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse