watch over
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watch
(wŏch)v. watched, watch·ing, watch·es
v.intr.
1. To look or observe attentively or carefully; be closely observant: watching for trail markers.
2. To look and wait expectantly or in anticipation: watch for an opportunity.
3. To act as a spectator; look on: stood by the road and watched.
4. To stay awake at night while serving as a guard, sentinel, or watcher.
5. To stay alert as a devotional or religious exercise; keep vigil.
v.tr.
1. To look at steadily; observe carefully or continuously: watch a parade.
2. To guard, keep surveillance on, or spy on: watched the prisoner all day; watched the house to see who came and went.
3. To observe the course of mentally; keep up on or informed about: watch the price of gold.
4. To pay close attention to or be careful about, especially with regard to propriety: watched his manners.
5. To tend or take care of (children or a flock of sheep, for example). See Synonyms at tend2.
n.
Phrasal Verbs: 1. The act or process of keeping awake or mentally alert, especially for the purpose of guarding.
2.
a. The act of observing closely or the condition of being closely observed; surveillance.
b. A period of close observation, often in order to discover something: a watch during the child's illness.
3. A person or group of people serving, especially at night, to guard or protect.
4. The post or period of duty of a guard, sentinel, or watcher.
5. Any of the periods into which the night is divided; a part of the night.
6. Nautical
a. Any of the periods of time, usually four hours, into which the day aboard ship is divided and during which a part of the crew is assigned to duty.
b. The members of a ship's crew on duty during a specific watch.
c. A chronometer on a ship.
7.
a. A period of wakefulness, especially one observed as a religious vigil.
b. A funeral wake.
8. A small portable timepiece, especially one worn on the wrist or carried in the pocket.
9. A flock of nightingales.
watch out
To be careful or on the alert; take care.
watch over
Idioms: To be in charge of; superintend.
watch it
To be careful: had to watch it when I stepped onto the ice.
watch (one's) step
1. To act or proceed with care and caution.
2. To behave as is demanded, required, or appropriate.
[Middle English wacchen, from Old English wæccan, to watch, be awake; see weg- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Verb | 1. | watch over - follow with the eyes or the mind; "Keep an eye on the baby, please!"; "The world is watching Sarajevo"; "She followed the men with the binoculars" check, check into, check out, check over, check up on, suss out, look into, go over - examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition; "check the brakes"; "Check out the engine" trace, follow - follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something; "We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba" ; "trace the student's progress" keep tabs on - keep a record on or watch attentively; "The government keeps tabs on the dissidents" guard - to keep watch over; "there would be men guarding the horses" invigilate, proctor - watch over (students taking an exam, to prevent cheating) |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
watch
verb1. To look at or on attentively or carefully:
Idioms: have one's eye on, keep tabs on.
2. To have the care and supervision of:
watch out
To be careful:
Idioms: be on guard, be on the lookout, keep an eye peeled , take care.
watch over
To direct and watch over the work and performance of others:
1. The act of observing, often for an extended time:
2. The act of carefully watching:
Idiom: watch and ward.
3. A person or special body of persons assigned to provide protection or keep watch over, for example:
4. A limited, often assigned period of activity, duty, or opportunity:
5. A watch over the body of a dead person before burial:
wake.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَسْهَر على، يَعْتَني بِ
vaka yfir, gæta
göz kulak olmak
w>watch over
vi +prep obj → wachen über (+acc)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
watch
(wotʃ) noun1. a small instrument for telling the time by, worn on the wrist or carried in the pocket of a waistcoat etc. He wears a gold watch; a wrist-watch.
2. a period of standing guard during the night. I'll take the watch from two o'clock till six.
3. in the navy etc, a group of officers and men who are on duty at a given time. The night watch come(s) on duty soon.
verb1. to look at (someone or something). He was watching her carefully; He is watching television.
2. to keep a lookout (for). They've gone to watch for the ship coming in; Could you watch for the postman?
3. to be careful of (someone or something). Watch (that) you don't fall off!; Watch him! He's dangerous.
4. to guard or take care of. Watch the prisoner and make sure he doesn't escape; Please watch the baby while I go shopping.
5. to wait for (a chance, opportunity etc). Watch your chance, and then run.
ˈwatcher nounˈwatchful adjective
alert and cautious. watchful eyes; If you are watchful you will not be robbed.
ˈwatchfully adverbˈwatchfulness noun
ˈwatchdog noun
a dog which guards someone's property etc. We leave a watchdog in our office at night to scare away thieves.
ˈwatchmaker noun a person who makes and repairs watches, clocks etc.
ˈwatchman noun (often ˌnight-ˈwatchman) a man employed to guard a building etc against thieves, especially at night. The bank-robbers shot the (night-)watchman.
ˈwatchtower noun an old word for a tower on which a lookout is posted.
ˈwatchword noun a motto or slogan used by members of a group of people who think (or act) alike. Let freedom be our watchword!
keep watch to be on guard. He kept watch while the other soldiers slept.
watch one's step to be careful what one does or says. He's in a bad mood, so watch your step and don't say anything wrong!
watch out (with for) to be careful (of). Watch out for the cars!; Watch out! The police are coming!
watch over to guard or take care of. The mother bird is watching over her young.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.