watchman

[ woch-muhn ]

noun

, plural watch·men.

1. a person who keeps guard over a building at night, to protect it from fire, vandals, or thieves.
2. (formerly) a person who guards or patrols the streets at night.

watchman

/ ˈwɒtʃmən /

noun

1. a person employed to guard buildings or property
2. (formerly) a man employed to patrol or guard the streets at night

Other Words From

• watchman·ly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of watchman¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; watch, man

Example Sentences

He went on to quote Justice Robert H. Jackson: “The very purpose of the First Amendment is to foreclose public authority from assuming a guardianship of the public mind through regulating the press, speech, and religion. In this field every person must be his own watchman for truth, because the forefathers did not trust any government to separate the true from the false for us.”

From Slate

Last month, Richard Abath, the night watchman who mistakenly allowed in the thieves, died at 57.

From New York Times

Richard Abath, a night watchman whose decision to allow two thieves disguised as Boston police officers into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990 enabled the greatest art heist in history — and one that remains unsolved — died on Feb. 23 at his home in Brattleboro, Vt. He was 57.

From New York Times

Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watchman who thought Martin looked suspicious, was acquitted.

From Seattle Times

“Many congregants across the nation bow in prayer minutes before the midnight hour as they sing out “Watchman, watchman, please tell me the hour of the night.’

From Washington Times

Related Words

• caretaker
• custodian
• patrolman
• policeman
• warden