Dictionary

night watchman en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From night + watchman. Cf. Old English nihtweard. By surface analysis, night + watch + man.

Meanings

1. (historical) Prior to police forces, a person appointed by a town or city to walk the streets at night and guard the burghers from felons and robbers.
2. A person who guards (usually at a building) at night.
   • We can hear the night watchman click his flashlight / Ask himself if it's him or them that's insane 1966, Bob Dylan, “Visions of Johanna”, in Blonde on Blonde:
3. A lower order batter to play the last overs in low light to save better batters for the next day's play.

Forms

Deriveds

night watchman state

Translations (24)

nb nattvakt (person who guards at night) · fi yövartija (person who guards at night) · mk па́звант (a person appointed by a town or city to walk the streets at night and guard the burghers from felons and robbers) · de Nachtwächter (a person appointed by a town or city to walk the streets at night and guard the burghers from felons and robbers) · mk чу́вар (person who guards at night) · ca vigilant nocturn (person who guards at night) · mk па́зван (a person appointed by a town or city to walk the streets at night and guard the burghers from felons and robbers) · fi yövartija (a person appointed by a town or city to walk the streets at night and guard the burghers from felons and robbers) · is næturvörður (person who guards at night) · de Wachmann (person who guards at night) · mk па́звантин (person who guards at night) · pl stróż nocny (a person appointed by a town or city to walk the streets at night and guard the burghers from felons and robbers) · el νυχτοφύλακας (person who guards at night) · tr gece bekçisi (a person appointed by a town or city to walk the streets at night and guard the burghers from felons and robbers) · tr yatakçı (a person appointed by a town or city to walk the streets at night and guard the burghers from felons and robbers) · da vægter (a person appointed by a town or city to walk the streets at night and guard the burghers from felons and robbers) · pl stróż nocny (person who guards at night) · de Nachtwächter (person who guards at night) · sv nattvakt (person who guards at night) · mk па́звантин (a person appointed by a town or city to walk the streets at night and guard the burghers from felons and robbers) · is næturvörður (a person appointed by a town or city to walk the streets at night and guard the burghers from felons and robbers) · mk па́зван (person who guards at night) · mk па́звант (person who guards at night) · nl nachtwacht (a person appointed by a town or city to walk the streets at night and guard the burghers from felons and robbers)