watchman
- 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
Related Words for watchman
caretaker, patrolman, warden, custodian, policeman, lookout, detective, patrol, observer, picket, ranger, sentry, watch, curator, watcher, spy, keeper, guard, scout, sentinelExamples from the Web for watchman
Contemporary Examples of watchman
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.
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.
The National Book Awards Longlist for NonfictionSeptember 18, 2013
As a candid psychological exploration of a highly charged filial relationship, The Wolf and the Watchman fascinates.
Historical Examples of watchman
"Aye, it is the steel head-piece of the watchman," remarked the archer.
The White CompanyArthur Conan Doyle
The old night watchman had a way of slipping up on one nodding.
KMary Roberts Rinehart
Far down at the other end of the gallery they could hear the watchman coming.
The Trail BookMary Austin
The boys found the night watchman, who had just come on duty.
Frank Roscoe's SecretAllen Chapman
And a watchman also came and reported that the Triton had been slain by a boy.
The Chinese Fairy BookVarious
watchman
- a person employed to guard buildings or property
- (formerly) a man employed to patrol or guard the streets at night