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| watch [ woch ] |
verb (past and past participle watched, present participle watch·ing, 3rd person present singular watch·es) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb observe: to look at and keep your attention on something or somebody over a period of time
  Are you coming to watch the game?
I watched him as he walked off down the street.
Would you mind doing that again? I wasn't watching.
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2. intransitive verb keep lookout: to keep a lookout for something that might appear or happen
Your job is to watch for anyone coming.
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3. transitive and intransitive verb monitor something or somebody: to keep something or somebody under observation as a protective measure, to gather information, or to exert control
Can you watch the baby while I go upstairs?
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4. transitive verb exercise care about something: to be careful about something
(
often used as a command
)
Watch your language!
Watch where you're going!
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5. intransitive verb keep vigil: to stay awake and keep a vigil
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noun (plural watch·es) |
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| Definition: |
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1. personal clock: a small clock worn on the wrist or carried in a pocket
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2. time spent observing: a period of time spent observing something closely
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3. people watching: a person or group that guards or observes something, especially at night
posted a watch around the house, day and night
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4. guard's duty: the period during which a guard is on duty
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5. duty on ship: a fixed period of a day spent on duty on board a ship
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6. person's period in charge: a period when a particular person is in charge of something
(
informal
)
didn't want anything going wrong on his watch
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7. crew on duty: the members of a ship's crew who are on duty at a particular time
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8. division of night: one of the periods of time into which the night was formerly divided
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9. U.S. weather alert: an official notice from meteorological authorities that weather of a particular kind is likely to develop in an area
a tornado watch
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| [Assumed Old English wæccan "keep watch, be awake" < Germanic] |
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| watch·er noun |
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be on the watch for somebody or something to look out for somebody or something
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watch it to be careful (informal)
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