watchman

[woch-muh n]

See more 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.

Origin of watchman

late Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at watch, man¹

Related formswatch·man·ly, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for watchman

Contemporary Examples

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
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
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
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
As a candid psychological exploration of a highly charged filial relationship, The Wolf and the Watchman fascinates.
Haunted by his Father’s Secret Life in the CIA
Emma Garman
June 16, 2013

Historical Examples

"Aye, it is the steel head-piece of the watchman," remarked the archer.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
The old night watchman had a way of slipping up on one nodding.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Far down at the other end of the gallery they could hear the watchman coming.
The Trail Book
Mary Austin
The boys found the night watchman, who had just come on duty.
Frank Roscoe's Secret
Allen Chapman
And a watchman also came and reported that the Triton had been slain by a boy.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various

British Dictionary definitions for watchman

watchman

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

Word Origin and History for watchman

n.

also watch-man, c.1400, "guard, sentinel, lookout" (late 12c. as a surname), figuratively "guardian, protector" (mid-15c.), from watch (n.) + man (n.). Also "person characterized by wakefulness" (mid-15c.).

watchman

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}watchman

Examples from the Web for watchman

Contemporary Examples

Kocurek now works 12-hour shifts as a night watchman guarding the entrance to a drilling patch.

His usual trick: bribing the night watchman to let him into the bank.

My friends and I went there once or twice a week and waited for the watchman to chase us out.

The Wolf and the Watchman: A Father, a Son, and the CIA by Scott C. Johnson, W.W. Norton & Co.

As a candid psychological exploration of a highly charged filial relationship, The Wolf and the Watchman fascinates.

Historical Examples

"Aye, it is the steel head-piece of the watchman," remarked the archer.

The old night watchman had a way of slipping up on one nodding.

Far down at the other end of the gallery they could hear the watchman coming.

The boys found the night watchman, who had just come on duty.

And a watchman also came and reported that the Triton had been slain by a boy.

watchman

Word Origin and History for watchman

n.

Origin of watchman