1. (n.) The act of guarding; watch; guard; guardianship; specifically, a guarding during the day. See the Note under Watch, n., 1.

2. (n.) One who, or that which, guards; garrison; defender; protector; means of guarding; defense; protection.

3. (n.) The state of being under guard or guardianship; confinement under guard; the condition of a child under a guardian; custody.

4. (n.) A guarding or defensive motion or position, as in fencing; guard.

5. (n.) One who, or that which, is guarded.

6. (n.) A minor or person under the care of a guardian; as, a ward in chancery.

7. (n.) A division of a county.

8. (n.) A division, district, or quarter of a town or city.

9. (n.) A division of a forest.

10. (n.) A division of a hospital; as, a fever ward.

11. (n.) A projecting ridge of metal in the interior of a lock, to prevent the use of any key which has not a corresponding notch for passing it.

12. (n.) A notch or slit in a key corresponding to a ridge in the lock which it fits; a ward notch.

13. (n.) To keep in safety; to watch; to guard; formerly, in a specific sense, to guard during the day time.

14. (n.) To defend; to protect.

15. (n.) To defend by walls, fortifications, etc.

16. (n.) To fend off; to repel; to turn aside, as anything mischievous that approaches; -- usually followed by off.

17. (v. i.) To be vigilant; to keep guard.

18. (v. i.) To act on the defensive with a weapon.

19. (v. i.) Alt. of -wards

Kreis VA hospital X ray acropolis administration aegis archbishopric archdiocese armament armor arrondissement asylum auspices avert avoidance reaction bailiwick balk base hospital bastion beachhead bishopric block blockhouse blood bank borough bridgehead bunker canton care castle charge charity ward check citadel city client clinic close borough commune community hospital congressional district constablewick consultation room convalescent home convalescent hospital county cure custodianship custody defence defense defense in depth defense mechanism defenses deflect delivery room departement dependent deter deterrent capacity diocese dispensary district divert donjon duchy ego defenses election district electoral district electorate emergency encumbrance escape mechanism evacuation hospital examining room fasthold fastness fend fever ward field hospital foil forestall fort fortress frustrate garrison garrison house general hospital gerrymander gerrymandered district governance government guard guardianship guarding guidance halt hamlet hands hold home hospital hospital room hundred infirmary inpatient clinic intensive care interrupt isolation jurisdiction keep keeping labor room laboratory lookout magistracy maison de sante management martello martello tower maternity ward mental hospital metropolis metropolitan area ministry mote motte negative taxis nursery nursing home oblast obviate okrug operating room osteopathic hospital outpatient clinic oversight parish parry pastorage pastorate pastorship patronage peel peel tower pensionary pensioner pharmacy picket pillbox pocket borough policlinic polyclinic post precinct preclude preventive custody principality prison ward private hospital private room proprietary hospital protection protective custody protectorship protege province psychological defenses public charge public hospital rath recovery room region resistance rest home riding rotten borough rule out safe district safe hands safeguard safehold safekeeping sanatorium security self-defense self-preservation self-protection semi-private room sentinel sentry sheriffalty sheriffwick shield shire shrievalty sick bay sickbed sickroom silk-stocking district single-member district soke special hospital stake state station hospital stave off stay stewardship strong point stronghold stymie surgery surgical hospital swing district teaching hospital territory the defensive therapy thwart tower tower of strength town township treatment room trust turn turn aside tutelage veterans hospital village voluntary hospital wapentake wardenship wardship watch watch and ward watchman well-baby clinic wing