ward

Definitions


[wɔːd], (Noun)

Definitions:
- a separate room or area in a hospital, typically one allocated to a particular type of patient
(e.g: a children's ward)

- an administrative division of a city or borough that typically elects and is represented by a councillor or councillors
(e.g: the second most marginal ward in Westminster)

- a child or young person under the care and control of a guardian appointed by their parents or a court
(e.g: for the last three years, the boy has been my ward)

- any of the internal ridges or bars in a lock that prevent the turning of any key which does not have grooves of corresponding form or size

- the action of keeping a lookout for danger
(e.g: I saw them keeping ward at one of those huge gates)

- an area of ground enclosed by the encircling walls of a fortress or castle


Phrases:
- ward of court

Origin:
Old English weard(in ward, also ‘body of guards’), weardian ‘keep safe, guard’, of Germanic origin; reinforced in Middle English by Old Northern French warde (noun), warder (verb) ‘guard’


[wɔːd], (Verb)

Definitions:
- admit to or care for in a hospital ward
(e.g: the last of the accident victims was warded)

- guard; protect
(e.g: it was his duty to ward the king)


Phrases:
- ward of court

Origin:
Old English weard(in ward, also ‘body of guards’), weardian ‘keep safe, guard’, of Germanic origin; reinforced in Middle English by Old Northern French warde (noun), warder (verb) ‘guard’




definition by Oxford Dictionaries