51Թ

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View synonyms for

ward

1

[wawrd]

noun

  1. a division or district of a city or town, as for administrative or political purposes.

    Synonyms:
  2. one of the districts into which certain English and Scottish boroughs are divided.

  3. a division, floor, or room of a hospital for a particular class or group of patients.

    a convalescent ward; a critical ward.

  4. any of the separate divisions of a prison.

  5. a political subdivision of a parish in Louisiana.

  6. Mormon Church.one of the subdivisions of a stake, presided over by a bishop.

  7. Fortification.an open space within or between the walls of a castle or fortified place.

    the castle's lower ward.

  8. Law.

    1. a person, especially a minor, who has been legally placed under the care of a guardian or a court.

    2. the state of being under the care or control of a legal guardian.

    3. guardianship over a minor or some other person legally incapable of managing their own affairs.

  9. the state of being under restraining guard or in custody.

  10. a person who is under the protection or control of another.

    Synonyms:
  11. a movement or posture of defense, as in fencing.

  12. a curved ridge of metal inside a lock, forming an obstacle to the passage of a key that does not have a corresponding notch.

  13. the notch or slot in the bit of a key into which such a ridge fits.

  14. the act of keeping guard or protective watch.

    watch and ward.

  15. Archaic.a company of guards or a garrison.



verb (used with object)

  1. to avert, repel, or turn aside (danger, harm, an attack, an assailant, etc.) (usually followed byoff ).

    to ward off a blow; to ward off evil.

    Synonyms: ,
  2. to place in a ward, as of a hospital or prison.

  3. Archaic.to protect; guard.

Ward

2

[wawrd]

noun

  1. (Aaron) Montgomery, 1843–1913, U.S. merchant and mail-order retailer.

  2. Artemas 1727–1800, American general in the American Revolution.

  3. Artemus Charles Farrar Browne, 1834–67, U.S. humorist.

  4. Barbara Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, 1914–81, English economist and author.

  5. Mrs. Humphry Mary Augusta Arnold, 1851–1920, English novelist, born in Tasmania.

  6. Sir Joseph George, 1856–1930, New Zealand statesman, born in Australia: prime minister of New Zealand 1906–12, 1928–30.

  7. Lester Frank, 1841–1913, U.S. sociologist.

  8. Nathaniel Theodore de la Guard, 1578?–1652, English clergyman, lawyer, and author in America.

  9. a male given name.

-ward

3
  1. a native English suffix denoting spatial or temporal direction, as specified by the initial element.

    toward; seaward; afterward; backward.

ward

1

/ ɔː /

noun

  1. (in many countries) a district into which a city, town, parish, or other area is divided for administration, election of representatives, etc

  2. a room in a hospital, esp one for patients requiring similar kinds of care

    a maternity ward

  3. one of the divisions of a prison

  4. an open space enclosed within the walls of a castle

  5. law

    1. Also called: ward of court.a person, esp a minor or one legally incapable of managing his own affairs, placed under the control or protection of a guardian or of a court

    2. guardianship, as of a minor or legally incompetent person

  6. the state of being under guard or in custody

  7. a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another

  8. a means of protection

    1. an internal ridge or bar in a lock that prevents an incorrectly cut key from turning

    2. a corresponding groove cut in a key

  9. a less common word for warden 1

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. archaic(tr) to guard or protect

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Ward

2

/ ɔː /

noun

  1. Dame Barbara ( Mary ), Baroness Jackson. 1914–81, British economist, environmentalist, and writer. Her books include Spaceship Earth (1966)

  2. Mrs Humphry, married name of Mary Augusta Arnold. 1851–1920, English novelist. Her novels include Robert Elsmere (1888) and The Case of Richard Meynell (1911)

  3. Sir Joseph George. 1856–1930, New Zealand statesman; prime minister of New Zealand (1906–12; 1928–30)

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

-ward

3

suffix

  1. (forming adjectives) indicating direction towards

    a backward step

    heavenward progress

  2. (forming adverbs) a variant and the usual US and Canadian form of -wards

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Spelling Note

Both -ward and -wards occur in such words as backward, forward, upward, and toward. The -ward form is by far the more common in edited American English writing.
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • wardless adjective
  • ˈɲ adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of ward1

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun warde, Old English weard; Middle English verb warde(n), Old English weardian; cognate with Middle Dutch waerden, German warten; guard

Origin of ward2

Middle English; Old English -weard towards; cognate with German -äٲ; akin to Latin vertere to turn ( verse )
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of ward1

Old English weard protector; related to Old High German wart, Old Saxon ward, Old Norse vorthr. See guard

Origin of ward2

Old English -weard towards
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Los Angeles police are expected to maintain a presence in the neighborhood to ward off potential thieves and deter property crime.

From

Meanwhile, officials at the BJ Medical College have started to vacate several wards of the hostel, near which the plane struck.

From

"If you don't have space in a hospital, if you don't have a theatre, if you don't have a ward where women can go before and after that limits what you're able to provide."

From

“I got out of the observation ward and I thought to myself, you can utilize all those emotions to channel that stuff into music.”

From

In Odesa, Governer Kiper said patients and staff managed to evacuate the medical station and maternity ward that were targeted, while ambulances were damaged.

From

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When To Use

What does-wardmean?

The suffix -ward is used to mean "in the direction of," either in time or space. It is often used in everyday and technical terms.The form -ward comes from Old English -weard, meaning “towards.”What are variants of -ward?The suffix -ward is more common in North American English. In British English, the variant -wards, as in towards, is more commonly used. Want to know more? Read our 51Թs That Use article on -wards.

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