Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

watchtower

American  
[woch-tou-er] / ˈwɒtʃˌtaʊ ər /

noun

  1. a tower on which a sentinel keeps watch.

watchtower British  
/ ˈwɒtʃˌtaʊə /

noun

  1. a tower on which a sentry keeps watch

"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

Etymology

Origin of watchtower

First recorded in 1535–45; watch + tower 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is effectively a watchtower or control tower for all your data.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

His career paths are hunter, forager or watchtower guard, but he seems more like the product of a progressive Montessori school, even with his dad urging him to cackle at shredded deer intestines.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2025

It was followed by the watchtower and an electricity pole.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2024

It takes a while before we see the telltale signs: the camp watchtower, and later the flames blackening the sky.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 27, 2023

"Last week we found this haunted watchtower, and the day before we chased a herd of wild horses. You should have seen them run when they caught a scent of Nymeria."

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.