Dictionary

watchman en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈwɒtʃmən/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English waccheman. By surface analysis, watch + -man.

Meanings

1. A man set to watch: a man who keeps guard, especially one who guards a building, or the streets of a city, by night; (loosely) any such person of any sex or gender.
   • In 1972, a night watchman patrolling a hotel-office complex noticed that the basement garage door had been taped open and, attributing this to the carelessness of a maintenance worker earlier that day, peeled the tape off. 2004 September 5, Laura Miller, “Imagine”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 15 Jul 2021:
   • Well, it so happened that Stine and the cook were sitting in their room one evening, mending and darning their things; it was near bedtime, for the watchman had already sung out "Ten o'clock," but somehow the darning and the sewing went on very slowly indeed[.] 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 8:
   • The visits of the watchman to that (then) obscure and ill-inhabited neighborhood were more regulated by his indolence than his duty; and Clarence knew that it would be in vain to listen for his cry or tarry for his assistance. 1829, Edward Bulwer Lytton, chapter XVIII, in The Disowned:
   • A black night watchman at a factory is accused of murdering a young white secretary who works at the factory, but it turns out the factory owner accidentally killed her when she refused his advances. 2010, Bob McCann, Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television, page 51:
   • Near-synonyms: watcher, watchwoman
   • Watchmen are stationed continuously at each end of the bridge, and the main spans are patrolled twice during the night. 1950 March, H. A. Vallance, “On Foot Across the Forth Bridge”, in Railway Magazine, page 149:

Forms

Deriveds

watchmanship · nightwatchman · watchman's detector · night watchman · watchman's rattle · watchmanly · watchman's clock

Descendants

guachimán · wachimán

Relateds

watchdog · security guard · watchwoman · watch out · watchout

Synonyms

watcher · watchwoman

Translations (122)

nl wachter (guard) · nb vekter (guard) · ko 경비원 (guard) · ug قاراۋۇلچى (guard) · tk garawul (guard) · niv йытӈунивх (guard) · uz qorovul (guard) · ko 야경꾼 (guard) · nv haʼasídí (guard) · es encargado (guard) · cy gwyliwr (guard) · hu őrszem (guard) · la vigil (guard) · sh čùvār (guard) · pl stróż (guard) · uk сто́рож (guard) · kk күзетші (guard) · es watchman (guard) · da vagt (guard) · is vaktmaður (guard) · hi प्रहरी (guard) · tr bekçi (guard) · nb vaktmann (guard) · oc gach (guard) · fa-ira پاسْدار (guard) · km អ្នកយាម (guard) · sl čuvaj (guard) · fro gaite (guard) · th ยาม (guard) · ru охра́нник (guard) · ca guaita (guard) · sw mabawabu (guard) · uk охоро́нець (guard) · tk gözegçi (guard) · mn манаач (guard) · oc gacha (guard) · mt għassies (guard) · th ภารโรง (guard) · sh стра̀жа̄р (guard) · oc gaita (guard) · arz حارس (guard) · ru стра́жник (guard) · ro păzitor (guard) · sh чу̀ва̄р (guard) · pox storz (guard) · id pengawal (guard) · fi vartija (guard) · mk чу́вар (guard) · ota نوبت (guard) · sh stràžār (guard) · tt сакчы (guard) · egy wr:r-S-i-i-hrw:A1 (guard) · vi người gác (guard) · gl vixía (guard) · mn харуул (guard) · uz soqchi (guard) · pt vigia (guard) · tr gözetmen (guard) · be вартаўні́к (guard) · ru сто́рож (guard) · csb dozérca (guard) · da nattevagt (guard) · csb aùsknecht (guard) · sk strážca (guard) · bg стра́жа (guard) · vi người canh (guard) · hi पहरेदार (guard) · de Wächter (guard) · it sorvegliante (guard) · pdt Loagawach (guard) · gl vixilante (guard) · gl sentinela (guard) · oc sentinèla (guard) · cmn 看守者 (guard) · is næturvörður (guard) · be ахо́ўнік (guard) · la custos (guard) · ug كۆزەتچى (guard) · uk охоро́нник (guard) · mk стражар (guard) · ar حَارِس (guard) · oc gait (guard) · ms pengawal (guard) · da vægter (guard) · tr gardiyan (guard) · twf xína (guard) · tg посбон (guard) · az gözətçi (guard) · it guardiano (guard) · es wachacarros (guard) · ky күзөтчү (guard) · cs hlídač (guard) · uk вартівни́к (guard) · bg паза́ч (guard) · uz qoʻriqchi (guard) · ro gardian (guard) · tg нигоҳбон (guard) · la excubitor (guard) · rup avigljitor (guard) · sw mlinzi (guard) · mnb dhaga (guard) · ja ウォッチマン (guard) · be сто́раж (guard) · mi kaimataara (guard) · fr sentinelle (guard) · fr guetteur (guard) · tr nöbetçi (guard) · hi चौकीदार (guard) · ja 警備員 (guard) · tg посдор (guard) · ga seiceadóir (guard) · ba һаҡсы (guard) · sv väktare (guard) · kk қарауылшы (guard) · fa-ira نِگَهْبان (guard) · gl garda (guard) · ro străjer (guard) · ro paznic (guard) · cs strážce (guard) · sq pendar (guard) · ur چَوکِیدار (guard) · ky сакчы (guard)