watchword C2+ Topic:Communication US /ˈwɑtʃ.wɝd/ UK /ˈwɒtʃ.wɜːd/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a word or phrase serving as a guiding principle or as a password Caution was the watchword of the cautious investor. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a word or phrase serving as... sloganmottopasswordcatchwordbywordshibbolethmaxim Word family Related forms watchword Etymology AI details A compound of watch (Old English wæcce 'a watching, guard') and word, originally a password given to a sentry on watch. wæcce Old English word Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Communication External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # watchword **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈwɑtʃ.wɝd/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈwɒtʃ.wɜːd/ ## Meanings 1. a word or phrase serving as a guiding principle or as a password ## Examples - Caution was the watchword of the cautious investor. ## Synonyms - slogan - motto - password - catchword - byword - shibboleth - maxim ## Related Forms - watch - word ## Roots and Affixes - Root: wæcce - Root: word ## Etymology A compound of watch (Old English wæcce 'a watching, guard') and word, originally a password given to a sentry on watch. ## AI Etymology Watchword is a compound of watch (Old English wæcce 'a watching, guard') and word, originally a password given to a sentry on watch. In current use it is a noun meaning "a word or phrase serving as a guiding principle or as a password". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The historical chain includes Old English wæcce and Old English word. Related English forms include watch and word. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning. ## Topics - Communication markdown