watchtower

[woch-tou-er]

See more synonyms for watchtower on Thesaurus.com

noun

a tower on which a sentinel keeps watch.

Origin of watchtower

First recorded in 1535–45; watch + tower¹

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

Related Words for watchtower

landmark, observatory, beacon, lighthouse, barbican, mirador

Examples from the Web for watchtower

Contemporary Examples of watchtower

From the watchtower it could see into every bedroom, every landing, every bathroom.
This Week’s Hot Reads: July 22, 2013
Cameron Martin
July 22, 2013

Historical Examples of watchtower

He left the Peace Stead and went to his watchtower Hlidskjalf.
The Children of Odin
Padraic Colum
From his watchtower on Rock River the old chief scanned the country.
The Conquest
Eva Emery Dye
To the watchtower of Thapnen he sent me, there to serve as the eyes of our army.
The Fantasy Fan February 1934
Various
It is not unreasonable to suppose that this orange mound was used as a watchtower.
Canyons of the Colorado
J. W. Powell
In two streets, converging at right angles towards my watchtower, I distinguish three different processions.
Sights from a Steeple (From "Twice Told Tales")
Nathaniel Hawthorne

British Dictionary definitions for watchtower

watchtower

noun

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

Word Origin and History for watchtower

1540s, from watch (v.) + tower (n.).