sen·try

[sen-tree]
noun, plural sen·tries.
1.
a soldier stationed at a place to stand guard and prevent the passage of unauthorized persons, watch for fires, etc., especially a sentinel stationed at a pass, gate, opening in a defense work, or the like.
2.
a member of a guard or watch.

Origin:
1605–15; short for sentrinel, variant of sentinel

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To sentry
Collins
World English Dictionary
sentry (ˈsɛntrɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -tries
1.  a soldier who guards or prevents unauthorized access to a place, keeps watch for danger, etc
2.  the watch kept by a sentry
 
[C17: perhaps shortened from obsolete centrinel, C16 variant of sentinel]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Sentry is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

sentry
1611, originally "watchtower;" perhaps a shortened variant of sentinel (q.v.), which had a variant form centrinel (1598), or worn down from sanctuary, on notion of "shelter for a watchman." Meaning "military guard posted around a camp" is first attested 1632. Sentry-box is from 1728.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
They take turns standing sentry over the town, barking to indicate whether danger looms or has subsided.
The only sign of human life is a sentry at the edge of town.
With such heavy demand for raiding, there aren't that many commandos free to perform sentry duty.
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT