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ward

n. · v.
US //ˈwɔɹd// UK //wˈɔːd// ward
  1. 1 hospital room (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

    a large room in a hospital with several beds for patients who need similar care.

    a separate room or division in a hospital, typically shared by multiple patients requiring similar medical treatment.

    Example

    The nurse walked through the children's ward to check on the patients before her shift ended.

    Example

    Following the surgery, the patient was transferred from the intensive care unit to a general surgical ward for long-term recovery.
  2. 2 voting district (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Law

    an area of a city or town that has its own local leaders and elections.

    an administrative division of a city or borough that serves as a constituency for local elections.

    Example

    She is running for a seat on the city council to represent our ward.

    Example

    The boundary commission proposed redrawing the city's wards to ensure more equitable representation across the growing suburban districts.
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  1. 3 person under guardianship (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Law

    a person, usually a child, who is legally under the care of a guardian or a court.

    a person, especially a minor or someone legally incompetent, placed under the protection of a guardian or a court of law.

    Example

    After his parents died, the boy became a ward of the state until his aunt was found.

    Example

    The court appointed a legal professional to manage the finances of the ward, ensuring the inheritance was protected until the child reached adulthood.
  2. 4 to repel or push away (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to push away or prevent something bad from happening; usually used with 'off'.

    to avert, repel, or turn aside something dangerous or unpleasant; almost exclusively used as the phrasal verb 'ward off'.

    Example

    She drank plenty of orange juice to ward off the cold she felt coming on.

    Example

    The central bank raised interest rates in a desperate attempt to ward off the looming threat of hyperinflation.

    Usage

    Almost always used with the particle 'off'.
  3. 5 protection or guard (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

    the act of guarding or protecting someone.

    the action of guarding or the state of being under guard; also refers to a person who performs such duties.

    Example

    The knight kept watch and ward over the castle gates all through the night.

    Example

    The ancient laws of the realm required the lord to provide watch and ward for all travelers passing through his lands.
Etymology 1

From Middle English warde, from Old English weard (“keeper, watchman, guard, guardian, protector; lord, king; possessor”), from Proto-Germanic warduz (“guard, keeper”), from Proto-Indo-European wer- (“to heed, defend”). Cognate with Dutch waard, German Wart.

Etymology 2

From Middle English ward, warde, from Old English weard (“watching, ward, protection, guardianship; advance post; waiting for, lurking, ambuscade”), from Proto-West Germanic wardu, from Proto-Germanic wardō (“protection, attention, keeping”), an extension of the stem wara- (“attentive”) (English wary, beware), from Proto-Indo-European wer- (“to cover”). Cognate with German Warte (“watchtower”), warten (“wait for”); English guard is a parallel form which came via Old French.

Etymology 3

From Middle English warden, from Old English weardian (“to watch, guard, keep, protect, preserve; hold, possess, occupy, inhabit; rule, govern”), from Proto-West Germanic wardēn, from Proto-Germanic wardōną, wardāną (“to guard”), from Proto-Indo-European wer- (“to heed, defend”). Doublet of guard.

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