watch

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To look at something or someone for a period of time, paying attention.

   We watched a film together last night.

2. 2
   noun

   A small clock that you wear on your wrist.

   She looked at her watch and saw it was already noon.

3. 3
   verb

   To be careful about something or keep an eye on it.

   Watch your step on the icy path.

4. 4
   noun

   The act of guarding or carefully observing someone or something.

   The guards kept watch over the gate all night.

Multiword verbs with watch

• watch over Prepositional verb A1

  to keep someone or something under attentive observation

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Watch comes from an Old English verb meaning “to be or remain awake” and shares its root with wake and awake. Its connection with timepieces developed in the 15th century, when early watches were alarm devices intended to wake their users.

From Middle English wacchen, from Old English wæċċan, from Proto-West Germanic *wakkjan, from Proto-Germanic *wakjaną.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary