night watch
Appearance
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Middle English nightwacche, nyȝt-wacche, nyghte wacche, nyȝt wacche, from Old English nihtwæċċe, a variant of nihtwacu (“nightwatch”), equivalent to night + watch. Cognate with West Frisian nachtwacht (“nightwatch”), Dutch nachtwacht, nachtwake (“nightwatch”), German Nachtwache (“nightwatch”) and Nachtwächter (“night watchman”), Swedish nattvakt (“nightwatch”), Icelandic næturvakt (“nightwatch”).
Noun
[edit]night watch (plural night watches)
- A watch kept on some premises, or on a town, by guards during the night.
- One or more of the guards on such a watch.
- One of the watches kept on a marine vessel.
- Coordinate terms: first watch, graveyard watch
- The sailors standing such a watch.
Alternative forms
[edit]Synonyms
[edit]Translations
[edit]watch kept during the night
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guards on such a watch
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