warden

¹ American  

[wawr-dn] / ˈwɔr dn /

noun

1. a person charged with the care or custody of persons, animals, or things; keeper.

   Synonyms:

   superintendent, caretaker, custodian, guard, guardian, warder

2. the chief administrative officer in charge of a prison.

3. any of various public officials charged with superintendence, as over a port or wildlife.

4. air-raid warden.

5. firewarden.

6. (in Connecticut) the chief executive officer of a borough.

7. (formerly) the principal official in a region, town, etc.

8. British.

   1. (initial capital letter) a traditional title of the president or governor of certain schools and colleges.

      Warden of Merton College.

   2. a member of a livery company of the City of London.

9. Canadian. the head of certain county or local councils.

10. a member of the governing body of a guild.

11. a churchwarden.

12. a gatekeeper.

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Warden ² American  

[wawr-dn] / ˈwɔr dn /

noun

British: Archaic.

1. any of several pears having a crisp, firm flesh, used in baking and cooking.

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warden ¹ British  

/ ˈwɔːdən /

noun

1. a person who has the charge or care of something, esp a building, or someone

2. any of various public officials, esp one responsible for the enforcement of certain regulations

3. a person employed to patrol a national park or safari park

4. the chief officer in charge of a prison

5. the principal or president of any of various universities or colleges

6. See churchwarden

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warden ² British  

/ ˈwɔːdən /

noun

1. a variety of pear that has crisp firm flesh and is used for cooking

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Other Word Forms

• subwarden noun
• subwardenship noun
• underwarden noun
• wardenry noun
• wardenship noun

Etymology

Origin of warden¹

1175–1225; Middle English wardein < Old French (northeast dial.), equivalent to ward- (root of warder to guard; ward ) + -ein, variant of -ien, -enc < Germanic -ing -ing ³

Origin of Warden²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English wardoun, wardon(e); of uncertain origin; perhaps from Anglo-French or Anglo-Latin wardō (inflectional stem wardōn-)

Example Sentences

He recalled a drab maze of run-down buildings inside a vast wooded compound whose tedious daily rhythms moved to the whims of wardens that rewarded the cooperative and punished the defiant.

From The Wall Street Journal

One person who has witnessed NWT's growth first hand is assistant warden Bernard Bishop, who is following in his great-grandfather and father's footsteps.

From BBC

After finishing the conversation, Harris, still struck by the insight of the prison doctor, asked a warden how long the man had worked in the prison.

From Los Angeles Times

"The council budget can't afford to employ traffic wardens and the income from the parking charges will allow us to employ them," Hampshire said.

From BBC

Don Phillips, head waterfowl warden, said it was not the first time nests had been lost.

From BBC

Related Words

• administrator
• caretaker
• curator
• superintendent