guardhouse

[ gahrd-hous ]

noun

, plural guard·hous·es [gahrd, -hou-ziz].

1. a building used for housing military personnel on guard duty.
2. a building used for the temporary detention of military prisoners.

guardhouse

/ ˈɡɑːdˌhaʊs /

noun

1. military a building serving as the headquarters or a post for military police and in which military prisoners are detained

Word History and Origins

Origin of guardhouse¹

First recorded in 1585–95; guard + house

Example Sentences

Whistling Cay has a guardhouse that colonial-era officials used to scan waters for slaves escaping from St. John to the nearby island of Tortola.

From Seattle Times

It was built in 1877 in the form of a panopticon, giving a central guardhouse a clear view to all corners of the "wheel".

From BBC

On a Friday afternoon in late March, dozens of workers were lining up at the guardhouse to start their shifts building batteries for vehicles like the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Volkswagen ID.4.

From Washington Post

If you got caught, you’d end up having to spend a few days in the guardhouse.

From Literature

A guardhouse is found at the front of the property.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• confinement
• jail
• lockup
• penitentiary