Origin of ward
before 900; (noun) Middle English
warde, Old English
weard; (v.) Middle English
warden, Old English
weardian; cognate with Middle Dutch
waerden, German
warten; cf.
guard
OTHER WORDS FROM ward
ward·less, adjectiveWords nearby ward
warble fly,
warbler,
warbling vireo,
warburg,
warchalking,
ward,
ward eight,
ward heeler,
ward off,
warded,
warden
Definition for ward (2 of 3)
Ward
[ wawrd ]
/ wɔrd /
noun
Definition for ward (3 of 3)
-ward
a native English suffix denoting spatial or temporal direction, as specified by the initial element: toward; seaward; afterward; backward.
Also
-wards.
Origin of -ward
Middle English; Old English
-weard towards; cognate with German
-wärts; akin to Latin
vertere to turn (see
verse)
usage note for -ward
Both
-ward and
-wards occur in such words as
backward, forward, upward, and
toward. The
-ward form is by far the more common in edited American English writing.
Example sentences from the Web for ward
British Dictionary definitions for ward (1 of 3)
ward
/ (wɔːd) /
noun
verb
(tr) archaic
to guard or protect
See also
ward off
Derived forms of ward
wardless, adjectiveWord Origin for ward
Old English
weard protector; related to Old High German
wart, Old Saxon
ward, Old Norse
vorthr. See
guard
British Dictionary definitions for ward (2 of 3)
Ward
/ (wɔːd) /
noun
Dame Barbara (Mary), Baroness Jackson. 1914–81, British economist, environmentalist, and writer. Her books include Spaceship Earth (1966)
Mrs Humphry, married name of Mary Augusta Arnold. 1851–1920, English novelist. Her novels include Robert Elsmere (1888) and The Case of Richard Meynell (1911)
Sir Joseph George. 1856–1930, New Zealand statesman; prime minister of New Zealand (1906–12; 1928–30)
British Dictionary definitions for ward (3 of 3)
-ward
suffix
(forming adjectives)
indicating direction towards
a backward step; heavenward progress
(forming adverbs) a variant and the usual US and Canadian form of -wards
Word Origin for -ward
Old English
-weard towards
Medical definitions for ward
ward
[ wôrd ]
n.
A room in a hospital usually holding six or more patients.
A division in a hospital for the care of a particular group of patients.