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watch       (wŏch)  Pronunciation Key  v.   watched, watch·ing, watch·es v.   intr. To look or observe attentively or carefully; be closely observant: watching for trail markers. To look and wait expectantly or in anticipation: watch for an opportunity. To act as a spectator; look on: stood by the road and watched. To stay awake at night while serving as a guard, sentinel, or watcher. To stay alert as a devotional or religious exercise; keep vigil. v.   tr. To look at steadily; observe carefully or continuously: watch a parade. To keep a watchful eye on; guard: watched the prisoner all day. To observe the course of mentally; keep up on or informed about: watch the price of gold. To tend (a flock, for example). See Synonyms at tend2. n.   The act or process of keeping awake or mentally alert, especially for the purpose of guarding. The act of observing closely or the condition of being closely observed; surveillance. A period of close observation, often in order to discover something: a watch during the child's illness. Any of the periods of time, usually four hours, into which the day aboard ship is divided and during which a part of the crew is assigned to duty. The members of a ship's crew on duty during a specific watch. A chronometer on a ship. A period of wakefulness, especially one observed as a religious vigil. A funeral wake. A person or group of people serving, especially at night, to guard or protect. The post or period of duty of a guard, sentinel, or watcher. Any of the periods into which the night is divided; a part of the night. Nautical Any of the periods of time, usually four hours, into which the day aboard ship is divided and during which a part of the crew is assigned to duty. The members of a ship's crew on duty during a specific watch. A chronometer on a ship. A period of wakefulness, especially one observed as a religious vigil. A funeral wake. A period of wakefulness, especially one observed as a religious vigil. A funeral wake. A small portable timepiece, especially one worn on the wrist or carried in the pocket. A flock of nightingales. See Synonyms at flock1. Phrasal Verb(s): watch out To be careful or on the alert; take care. watch over To be in charge of; superintend. Idiom(s): watch it To be careful: had to watch it when I stepped onto the ice. Idiom(s): watch (one's) step To act or proceed with care and caution. To behave as is demanded, required, or appropriate. [Middle English wacchen, from Old English wæccan, to watch, be awake; see weg- in Indo-European roots.]

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watch  (v.)

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watch  (n.)

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

watch
noun
1.	a small portable timepiece
2.	a period of time (4 or 2 hours) during which some of a ship's crew are on duty
3.	a purposeful surveillance to guard or observe
4.	the period during which someone (especially a guard) is on duty
5.	a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event [syn: lookout]
6.	the rite of staying awake for devotional purposes (especially on the eve of a religious festival) [syn: vigil]
verb
1.	look attentively; "watch a basketball game"
2.	follow with the eyes or the mind; "Keep an eye on the baby, please!"; "The world is watching Sarajevo"; "She followed the men with the binoculars"
3.	see or watch; "view a show on television"; "This program will be seen all over the world"; "view an exhibition"; "Catch a show on Broadway"; "see a movie"
4.	observe with attention; "They watched as the murderer was executed"
5.	be vigilant, be on the lookout or be careful; "Watch out for pickpockets!"
6.	observe or determine by looking; "Watch how the dog chases the cats away"
7.	find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort; "I want to see whether she speaks French"; "See whether it works"; "find out if he speaks Russian"; "Check whether the train leaves on time" [syn: determine]

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

watch

In addition to the idioms beginning with watch, also see keep watch; look (watch) out; on the lookout (watch).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

watch

A*larm"\ ([.a]*l[aum]rm"), n. [F. alarme, It. all' arme to arms ! fr. L. arma, pl., arms. See Arms, and cf. Alarum.]

1. A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy.

Arming to answer in a night alarm. --Shak.

2. Any sound or information intended to give notice of approaching danger; a warning sound to arouse attention; a warning of danger.

Sound an alarm in my holy mountain. --Joel ii. 1.

3. A sudden attack; disturbance; broil. [R.] "These home alarms." --Shak.

Thy palace fill with insults and alarms. --Pope.

4. Sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by apprehension of danger; in the military use, commonly, sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise.

Alarm and resentment spread throughout the camp. --Macaulay.

5. A mechanical contrivance for awaking persons from sleep, or rousing their attention; an alarum.

Alarm bell, a bell that gives notice on danger.

Alarm clock or watch, a clock or watch which can be so set as to ring or strike loudly at a prearranged hour, to wake from sleep, or excite attention.

Alarm gauge, a contrivance attached to a steam boiler for showing when the pressure of steam is too high, or the water in the boiler too low.

Alarm post, a place to which troops are to repair in case of an alarm.

Syn: Fright; affright; terror; trepidation; apprehension; consternation; dismay; agitation; disquiet; disquietude.

Usage: Alarm, Fright, Terror, Consternation. These words express different degrees of fear at the approach of danger. Fright is fear suddenly excited, producing confusion of the senses, and hence it is unreflecting. Alarm is the hurried agitation of feeling which springs from a sense of immediate and extreme exposure. Terror is agitating and excessive fear, which usually benumbs the faculties. Consternation is overwhelming fear, and carries a notion of powerlessness and amazement. Alarm agitates the feelings; terror disorders the understanding and affects the will; fright seizes on and confuses the sense; consternation takes possession of the soul, and subdues its faculties. See Apprehension.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Watch

Biv"ouac\, n. [F. bivouac, bivac, prab. fr. G. beiwache, or beiwacht; bei by, near + wachen to watch, wache watch, guard. See By, and Watch.] (Mil.) (a) The watch of a whole army by night, when in danger of surprise or attack. (b) An encampment for the night without tents or covering.

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watch

Face\, n. [F., from L. facies form, shape, face, perh. from facere to make (see Fact); or perh. orig. meaning appearance, and from a root meaning to shine, and akin to E. fancy. Cf. Facetious.]

1. The exterior form or appearance of anything; that part which presents itself to the view; especially, the front or upper part or surface; that which particularly offers itself to the view of a spectator.

A mist . . . watered the whole face of the ground. --Gen. ii. 6.

Lake Leman wooes me with its crystal face. --Byron.

2. That part of a body, having several sides, which may be seen from one point, or which is presented toward a certain direction; one of the bounding planes of a solid; as, a cube has six faces.

3. (Mach.) (a) The principal dressed surface of a plate, disk, or pulley; the principal flat surface of a part or object. (b) That part of the acting surface of a cog in a cog wheel, which projects beyond the pitch line. (c) The width of a pulley, or the length of a cog from end to end; as, a pulley or cog wheel of ten inches face.

4. (Print.) (a) The upper surface, or the character upon the surface, of a type, plate, etc. (b) The style or cut of a type or font of type.

5. Outside appearance; surface show; look; external aspect, whether natural, assumed, or acquired.

To set a face upon their own malignant design. --Milton.

This would produce a new face of things in Europe. --Addison.

We wear a face of joy, because We have been glad of yore. --Wordsworth.

6. That part of the head, esp. of man, in which the eyes, cheeks, nose, and mouth are situated; visage; countenance.

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. --Gen. iii. 19.

7. Cast of features; expression of countenance; look; air; appearance.

We set the best faceon it we could. --Dryden.

8. (Astrol.) Ten degrees in extent of a sign of the zodiac. --Chaucer.

9. Maintenance of the countenance free from abashment or confusion; confidence; boldness; shamelessness; effrontery.

This is the man that has the face to charge others with false citations. --Tillotson.

10. Presence; sight; front; as in the phrases, before the face of, in the immediate presence of; in the face of, before, in, or against the front of; as, to fly in the face of danger; to the face of, directly to; from the face of, from the presence of.

11. Mode of regard, whether favorable or unfavorable; favor or anger; mostly in Scriptural phrases.

The Lord make his face to shine upon thee. --Num. vi. 25.

My face [favor] will I turn also from them. --Ezek. vii. 22.

12. (Mining) The end or wall of the tunnel, drift, or excavation, at which work is progressing or was last done.

13. (Com.) The exact amount expressed on a bill, note, bond, or other mercantile paper, without any addition for interest or reduction for discount. --McElrath.

Note: Face is used either adjectively or as part of a compound; as, face guard or face-guard; face cloth; face plan or face-plan; face hammer.

Face ague (Med.), a form of neuralgia, characterized by acute lancinating pains returning at intervals, and by twinges in certain parts of the face, producing convulsive twitches in the corresponding muscles; -- called also tic douloureux.

Face card, one of a pack of playing cards on which a human face is represented; the king, queen, or jack.

Face cloth, a cloth laid over the face of a corpse.

Face guard, a mask with windows for the eyes, worn by workman exposed to great heat, or to flying particles of metal, stone, etc., as in glass works, foundries, etc.

Face hammer, a hammer having a flat face.

Face joint (Arch.), a joint in the face of a wall or other structure.

Face mite (Zo["o]ll.), a small, elongated mite (Demdex folliculorum), parasitic in the hair follicles of the face.

Face mold, the templet or pattern by which carpenters, ect., outline the forms which are to be cut out from boards, sheet metal, ect.

Face plate. (a) (Turning) A plate attached to the spindle of a lathe, to which the work to be turned may be attached. (b) A covering plate for an object, to receive wear or shock. (c) A true plane for testing a dressed surface. --Knight.

Face wheel. (Mach.) (a) A crown wheel. (b) A Wheel whose disk face is adapted for grinding and polishing; a lap.

Cylinder face (Steam Engine), the flat part of a steam cylinder on which a slide valve moves.

Face of an anvil, its flat upper surface.

Face of a bastion (Fort.), the part between the salient and the shoulder angle.

Face of coal (Mining), the principal cleavage plane, at right angles to the stratification.

Face of a gun, the surface of metal at the muzzle.

Face of a place (Fort.), the front comprehended between the flanked angles of two neighboring bastions. --Wilhelm.

Face of a square (Mil.), one of the sides of a battalion when formed in a square.

Face of a watch, clock, compass, card etc., the dial or graduated surface on which a pointer indicates the time of day, point of the compass, etc.

Face to face. (a) In the presence of each other; as, to bring the accuser and the accused face to face. (b) Without the interposition of any body or substance. "Now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face." 1 --Cor. xiii. 12. (c) With the faces or finished surfaces turned inward or toward one another; vis [`a] vis; -- opposed to back to back.

To fly in the face of, to defy; to brave; to withstand.

To make a face, to distort the countenance; to make a grimace. --Shak.

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