watcher (wocher)

One who or that which watches. Specifically- ( a ) One who sits up and continues awake; one who lies awake. Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us, And show us to be watchers. Shak., Macbeth, ii. 2. 71. (b) One who keeps awake for the purpose of guarding or attending upon something or some one; a nurse, watchman, sentry, or the like. were set watchmen and watchers Berners, tr. of Froi art's Chron., II. xlix. On the fronters in dyuers manners. ... IMG:content-2103.png:[blocks in formation] Keats, Sonnets, xi. Jer. iv. 16. [Early mod. (d) A spy; one sent to watch an enemy. watchett (woch'et), n . and a. E. also watched ; wagett , vachet ; prob. from an OF. form ult. connected with woad .] A light or pale-blue color. Celestro, azure, watchet , or skie-colour. Celeste , heauenlie, cel est i all. Also skie-colour or azure and watchet. Yclad he was ful smal and proprely Al in a kirtel of a lyght waget . Florio , Chaucer, Miller's Tale, 1. 135. [There are MS. variations vachet, wagett, and wachet , of which the last only is in print.] Their watchet mantles frindgd with silver rownd. Spenser, F. Q., III. iv. 40. The greater shippes were towed downe with boates and oares, and the mariners, being all apparelled in watchet or skie coloured clothe, rowed a maine, and made way with diligence. Hakluyt's Voyages , quoted in R. Eden (First Books on [America, ed. Arber, p. xxxviii.). His habit is antique, the stuffe Watchet and siluer. Dekker , Londons Tempe. watch-fire (woch'fir), n . A fire maintained during the night as a signal, or for the use of a watching party, guard, sentinels, etc.