▪ observe and guard in a protective way: "I guess I can rest a while, with you here to watch over me"
▪ follow closely or maintain an interest in: "the girls watched the development of this relationship with incredulity"
2. exercise care, caution, or restraint about: "most women watch their diet during pregnancy"Similarbe careful about/ofexercise care/caution/restraint aboutbe aware ofpay attention toconsidertake into account/considerationbear in mindkeep in mindmindattend topay heed to
▪ look out or be on the alert for: "in spring and summer, watch for kingfishers"
▪ be careful (used as a warning or threat): "credit card fraud is on the increase, so watch out"
3. remain awake for the purpose of religious observance:archaic"she watched whole nights in the church"
▪ a period of vigil during which a person is stationed to look out for danger or trouble, typically during the night: "Murray took the last watch before dawn"
▪ a fixed period of duty on a ship, usually lasting four hours: "sea air, lots of exercise, and four-hour watches give everyone a healthy appetite"Similarshiftstintspellstretchturn
▪ the officers and crew on duty during a watch.
▪ a watchman or group of watchmen who patrolled and guarded the streets of a town before the introduction of the police force: historical"the woman, with a piercing shriek, called the watch"
▪ a body of soldiers making up a guard.
Word OriginOld Englishwæcce ‘watchfulness’, wæccende ‘remaining awake’; related to wake1. The sense ‘small timepiece’ probably developed by way of a sense ‘alarm device attached to a clock’.