ward

[ wawrd ]

/ wɔrd /

noun

a division or district of a city or town, as for administrative or political purposes.

one of the districts into which certain English and Scottish boroughs are divided.

a division, floor, or room of a hospital for a particular class or group of patients: a convalescent ward; a critical ward.

any of the separate divisions of a prison.

a political subdivision of a parish in Louisiana.

Mormon Church. one of the subdivisions of a stake, presided over by a bishop.

Fortification. an open space within or between the walls of a castle or fortified place: the castle's lower ward.

Law.

a person, especially a minor, who has been legally placed under the care of a guardian or a court.
the state of being under the care or control of a legal guardian.
guardianship over a minor or some other person legally incapable of managing his or her own affairs.

the state of being under restraining guard or in custody.

a person who is under the protection or control of another.

a movement or posture of defense, as in fencing.

a curved ridge of metal inside a lock, forming an obstacle to the passage of a key that does not have a corresponding notch.

the notch or slot in the bit of a key into which such a ridge fits.

the act of keeping guard or protective watch: watch and ward.

Archaic. a company of guards or a garrison.

verb (used with object)

to avert, repel, or turn aside (danger, harm, an attack, an assailant, etc.) (usually followed by off): to ward off a blow; to ward off evil.

to place in a ward, as of a hospital or prison.

Archaic. to protect; guard.

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

SYNONYMS FOR ward

1 precinct.

10 protégé.

16 parry, prevent.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR ward ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM ward

ward·less, adjective

Words nearby ward

warble fly, warbler, warbling vireo, warburg, warchalking, ward, ward eight, ward heeler, ward off, warded, warden

British Dictionary definitions for ward off (1 of 3)

ward off

verb

(tr, adverb) to turn aside or repel; avert

British Dictionary definitions for ward off (2 of 3)

ward

/ (wɔːd) /

noun

(in many countries) a district into which a city, town, parish, or other area is divided for administration, election of representatives, etc

a room in a hospital, esp one for patients requiring similar kinds of care a maternity ward

one of the divisions of a prison

an open space enclosed within the walls of a castle

law

Also called: ward of court a person, esp a minor or one legally incapable of managing his own affairs, placed under the control or protection of a guardian or of a court
guardianship, as of a minor or legally incompetent person

the state of being under guard or in custody

a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another

a means of protection

an internal ridge or bar in a lock that prevents an incorrectly cut key from turning
a corresponding groove cut in a key

a less common word for warden 1

verb

(tr) archaic to guard or protect

Derived forms of ward

wardless, adjective

Word 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 off (3 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)

Medical definitions for ward off

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.

Idioms and Phrases with ward off

ward off

Turn aside, parry, as in He tried to ward off her blows. [Second half of 1500s]

Try to prevent, avert, as in She took vitamin C to ward off a cold. [Mid-1700s]

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

ward

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of ward

SYNONYMS FOR ward

OTHER WORDS FROM ward

Words nearby ward

British Dictionary definitions for ward off (1 of 3)

verb

British Dictionary definitions for ward off (2 of 3)

noun

verb

Derived forms of ward

Word Origin for ward

British Dictionary definitions for ward off (3 of 3)

noun

Medical definitions for ward off

n.

Idioms and Phrases with ward off

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

ward

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of ward

SYNONYMS FOR ward

OTHER WORDS FROM ward

Words nearby ward

Words related to ward off

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for ward off (1 of 3)

verb

British Dictionary definitions for ward off (2 of 3)

noun

verb

Derived forms of ward

Word Origin for ward

British Dictionary definitions for ward off (3 of 3)

noun

Medical definitions for ward off

n.

Idioms and Phrases with ward off

British Dictionary definitions for ward off (1 of 3)