Synonyms

watchtower

American

[woch-tou-er] / ˈwɒtʃˌtaʊ ər /

noun

a tower on which a sentinel keeps watch.

watchtower British

/ ˈwɒtʃˌtaʊə /

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

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

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

My explorations took me from a top-down view on the 32nd floor of a luxury hotel to the faded blue upholstered seats of the Las Vegas Monorail to a dilapidated security watchtower.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2023

Taking advantage of a poorly manned watchtower and an easy-to-climb wall, the Romans managed to get some soldiers inside the city.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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