watchfire en · NOUN
Etymology
From watch + fire.
Meanings
-
A fire maintained during the night by people keeping watch.
Several praus went out in search of the pirates, sentinels were appointed, and watch-fires lighted on the beach to guard against the possibility of a night attack, though it was hardly thought they would be bold enough to attempt to plunder Dobbo.
1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume II, London: Macmillan and Co., page 211:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| watchfires | Number=Plur | lexicographic |