a small clock you wear on your wrist or carry in your pocket so you can see what time it is
Maya glanced at her watch and realized she was late for class.
For his birthday, Leon’s parents gave him a waterproof digital watch.
✦ From Old English wæcce “a watch, vigil”, later extended to mean a small clock carried on the person.
to look at someone or something carefully for a period of time
We sat on the hill and watched the sunset paint the sky orange.
Lena likes to watch movies on rainy evenings.
✦ Old English wacian meant “stay awake, be vigilant,” which later developed into the idea of looking at something attentively.
to look after someone or something so that it is safe
Could you watch my bag while I go to the restroom?
Sam watched his little sister after school until their parents got home.
✦ The sense of guarding developed from the older idea of keeping awake and being alert.
the act of staying awake and alert to look out for danger or changes
The firefighter kept watch all night to ensure the flames didn’t return.
A nurse stayed on watch beside the patient’s bed.
✦ From Old English wæcce meaning “vigil, wakefulness.”
a period of duty when someone guards a place, especially on a ship, or the group doing that duty
My watch begins at midnight and ends at four in the morning.
The captain called the night watch to the deck.
✦ The naval sense grew from the idea of dividing the night into parts when different sailors would stay awake to keep the ship safe.
