watchman

[ woch-muhn ]

/ ˈwɒtʃ mən /

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See synonyms for watchman on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural watch·men.

a person who keeps guard over a building at night, to protect it from fire, vandals, or thieves.

(formerly) a person who guards or patrols the streets at night.

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Origin of watchman

late Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at watch, man

OTHER WORDS FROM watchman

watch·man·ly, adjective

Words nearby watchman

watch it, watchless, watch like a hawk, watch list, watchmaker, watchman, watch meeting, watch my dust, watch night, watch one's step, watchout

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use watchman in a sentence

Kocurek now works 12-hour shifts as a night watchman guarding the entrance to a drilling patch.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.|David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His usual trick: bribing the night watchman to let him into the bank.
The High Society Bank Robber of the 1800s|J. North Conway|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My friends and I went there once or twice a week and waited for the watchman to chase us out.
The Stacks: A Dog Dies, a Boy Grows Up|Pete Dexter|June 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And people—reportedly less than 20, but still—actually showed up to meet the killer neighborhood watchman and get his autograph!
Fringe Factor: Liberal Professors Should Be Shot|Caitlin Dickson|March 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Wolf and the Watchman: A Father, a Son, and the CIA by Scott C. Johnson, W.W. Norton & Co.
The National Book Awards Longlist for Nonfiction||September 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
W was a Watchman, and guarded the door; X was expensive, and so became poor.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
A brilliant blaze of lightning showed him the unmistakable figure of the Black Hood bending over the body of Joseph, the watchman.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
The prophet eats the book, and receives further instructions: the office of a watchman.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
When I saw the knife, I planned to withdraw it from the watchman's throat, to use it as possible evidence.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
The duty of the watchman appointed by God: the justice of God's ways: his judgments upon the Jews.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

British Dictionary definitions for watchman

watchman

/ (ˈwɒtʃmən) /

noun plural -men

a person employed to guard buildings or property

(formerly) a man employed to patrol or guard the streets at night

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

watchman

Origin of watchman

OTHER WORDS FROM watchman

Words nearby watchman

Words related to watchman

How to use watchman in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for watchman