watch (woch)

[ To lie in watch there and to think on him. Shak ., Cymbeline, iii. 4. 43. 2. A keeping awake for the purpose of attending, guarding, or preserving; attendance without sleep; preservative or preventive vigilance; vigil. Travellers always lie in the boat, and keep a watch to defend themselves against any attack. Pococke , Description of the East, I. 70. We were told to keep good watch here all night, that there were troops of robbers on the east-side of the water who had lately plundered some boats. Bruce, Source of the Nile, I. 84. 3. A wake. See wakel , n., 2. Oon cre et to be born biforn the Baillies of the seid cite [Worcester], in the Vigille of the natiuite of Seynt John Baptiste, at the comyn Wacche of the seid cite; and the wardeyns of the seid crafte, and alle the hole orafte, shallen wayte vppon the seid Baillies in the seid Vigille, at the seid Wacche, in ther best arraye harnesid. English Gilds (E. E. T. S.), p. 408. 4. Close, constant observation; vigilant attention; careful, continued notice; supervision; vigilance; outlook: as, to be on the watch. When I had lost one shaft, I shot his fellow of the self-same flight The self-same way with more advised watch , To find the other forth. Shak ., M. of V., i. 1. 142. There [the trout] lies at the watch for any fly or minnow that comes near to him. I. Walton, Complete Angler, p. 75. Nor could she otherwise account for the judge's quiescent mood than by supposing him craftily on the watch, mind. an allotted time. The crew of every ve el while at sea is generally divided into two parts: the starboard watch, which in the merchant service is the captain's watch, and is often commanded by the second mate; and the port or larboard watch, which in the merchant service is commanded by the chief mate. In the British and United States navies these watches are commanded by the lieutenants succe ively. The anchor - watch is a small watch composed of one or two men appointed to look after the ship while at anchor or in port. 8. Anything by which the progre of time is perceived and measured. (at) A candle marked out into sections, each of which required a certain time to burn. Fill me a bowl of wine. Give me a watch . Shak., Rich. III., v. 3. 63. The lieutenant to-night watches on the court of guard. Shak., Othello, ii. 1. 219. 4. To look forward with expectation; be expectant; seek opportunity; wait.-5. To act as attendant or nurse on the sick by night; remain awake to give attendance, a istance, or the like: as, to watch with a patient in a fever.-6. To float on the surface of the water: said of a buoy.. To watch over, to be cautiously observant of; inspect; superintend and guard from error and danger; keep guard over. Watch over thyself, counsel thyself, judge thyself impartially. Jer. Taylor. There is abundant cause to think that every town in which the Lord Jesus Christ is worshipped hath an angel to watch over it. C. Mather, Mag. Chris., Hist. Boston. II. trans. 1. To look with close attention at or on; keep carefully and constantly in view or supervision; keep a sharp lookout on or for; observe, notice, or regard with vigilance and care; keep an eye upon. Lie not a night from home; watch me like Argus. Shak., M. of V., v. 1. 230. They are singled out, and all opportunities watched against them. Bacon , Political Fables, i., Expl. When Pitt entered Parliament, the whole political world was attentively watching the progre of an event which soon added great strength to the Opposition. Macaulay , William Pitt. Flaming ministers to watch and tend Their earthy charge. Milton, P. L., ix. 156. (b) A small portable timepiece or timekeeper that may 2. To have in keeping; tend; guard; take care be worn on the person, operated by power stored in a coiled of. spring, and capable of keeping time when held in any position. 'Watches were invented at Nüremberg about the beginning of the sixteenth century, and for a long time the wearing of a watch was considered in some degree a mark or proof of gentility. Thus Malvolio remarks in anticipation of his great fortune: I frown the while; and perchance wind up my watch , or play with my - some rich jewel. Shak ., T. N., ii. 5. 66. The new contrivance of applying precious stones to watches I had the good fortune to see when Mr. Facio, the inventor, and an ingenious man, and Mr. Debaufre, the workman, presented their watches , to have the approbation of the Royal Society. W. Derham (Ellis's Lit. Letters, p. 173). Lord Brampton . Charges? For what? Sable. First, Twenty Guineas to my Lady's Woman for notice of your Death (a Fee I've before now known the Widow herself go halfs in), but no matter for that. In the next place, Ten Pounds for watching you all your long Fit of Sickne last Winter. Steele , Grief A-la-Mode, ii. 1. Paris watch'd the flocks in the groves of Ida. Broome. 3. To look for; wait for. We will stand and watch your pleasure. Shak ., J. C., iv. 3. 249. 41. To take or detect by lying in wait; surprise. Nay, do not fly; I think we have watch'd you now. Shak., M. W. of W., v. 5. 107. 5. In falconry , to keep awake; keep from sleep, as a hawk, for the purpose of exhausting and taming it. My lord shall never rest; I'll watch him tame, and talk him out of patience. Shak., Othello, iii. 3. 23. They [Ru ian travelers) report that the Land of Mugalla reaches from Boghar to the north sea, and hath many Castles built of Stone four-square, with Towers at the Corners cover'd with glazed Tiles; and on the Gates Alarum Bells, or Watch - Bells , twenty pound weight of Metal. A friend of mine had a watch given him when he was a boy, a "bull's eye," with a loose silver case that came off like an oyster-shell from its contents; you know them the cases that you hang on your thumb, while the core, or the real watch , lies in your hand as naked as a peeled apple. O. W. Holmes, Profe or, ii. 9. pl . A name of the trumpet leaf, Sarracenia flava , probably alluding to the resemblance of the flowers to watches.-10. In pottery , a trial piece of clay so placed in a kiln that it can watch-bellt (woch'bel), n . 1. An alarm-bell. be readily withdrawn to enable the workmen to judge by its appearance of the heat of the fire and the condition of the ware remaining in the saggars.-11. In hawking , a company or flight, as of nightingales. - Beat of a watch. See beat 1. - Duplex watch, a watch having two sets of teeth upon the rim of its escapement-wheel. - Officer of the watch. See watch - officer . Paddy's watch. Same as pad dywhack , 3.-Parish watch. See parish . - The Black Watch, a semi-military organization in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the early part of the eighteenth century. From this a regiment of the British army was afterward formed, and the name was ultimately given to the 42d and 73d regiments, which are now the 1st and 2d Battalions of the Black Watch or Royal Highlanders. - To muster the watch. See muster . - To stand a watch. See stand . - Watch and ward, the old custom of watching by night and by day in towns and cities. English writers up to the seventeenth century recognize a distinction between watch and ward , the former being used to signify a watching and guarding by night, and the latter a watching, Milton , Hist. Moscovia, iii. 2. The bell which is struck every half-hour on board ship to mark the time. Now called ship's bell.