# guard

/ˈɡɑɹd/ (US) · /ɡˈɑːd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/guard
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. person who protects

noun · CEFR A2

a person whose job is to protect a place or a person, or to prevent prisoners from escaping.

For teachers: an individual employed to maintain security, protect property, or supervise detainees.

- The security guard checked everyone's ID cards at the entrance to the building.
- Armed guards were stationed at every exit to ensure that no unauthorised personnel could enter the high-security laboratory.

### 2. state of caution

noun · CEFR B1

a state of being careful and ready for possible danger or trouble.

For teachers: a state of constant vigilance or a defensive posture intended to prevent surprise or injury.

- The sudden question caught him off guard, and he didn't know what to say.
- The diplomat kept his guard up during the entire negotiation, careful not to reveal his country's true position.

Usage: Commonly used in the phrases 'on guard' or 'off guard'.

### 3. protective equipment

noun · CEFR B1

a piece of equipment that protects a part of your body or a dangerous part of a machine.

For teachers: a protective device or attachment designed to prevent injury to a person or damage to a mechanism.

- You should always wear shin guards when playing football to avoid leg injuries.
- The factory inspector noted that the safety guard on the circular saw had been illegally removed.

### 4. sports position

noun · CEFR B2

a player in certain sports, like basketball or American football, who has a specific defensive or attacking role.

For teachers: a specific player position in team sports, typically involving defensive responsibilities or protecting a key teammate.

- The point guard passed the ball quickly to the taller player under the basket.
- The offensive guard moved laterally to block the defender, creating a wide lane for the running back.

### 5. programming condition

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a piece of code that must be true for the rest of the program to continue.

For teachers: a boolean expression that must evaluate to true for a specific branch of program execution to proceed.

- The program uses a guard to check if the user is logged in before showing the page.
- By implementing a guard clause at the beginning of the function, the developer avoided deeply nested logic for invalid input cases.

### 6. to protect

verb · CEFR B1

to protect a person, place, or object from weapon attacks, theft, or damage.

For teachers: to watch over or shield from danger; to maintain a state of security over a specific target.

- Two large dogs guard the house while the family is away on holiday.
- Soldiers were ordered to guard the bridge until the rest of the battalion had safely crossed the river.

## Examples

- The security guard checks everyone's ID at the entrance.
- The museum hired an extra guard to stand near the famous painting during the busy holiday weekend.
- Engineers installed a heavy steel guard over the rotating gears to ensure that no loose clothing could become entangled in the machinery during operation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.