watch guard

noun

1. a short chain, cord, or ribbon for securing a watch when worn on the person.

Word History and Origins

Origin of watch guard¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

It’s nice to see that neighbors of a Chinese family in south Orange County subject to the harassment of idiot teens take turns as watch guards.

From Los Angeles Times

According to a troopers release, a duty officer watch guard saw a man trespassing at the installation and tapping on the windows of a watch building with a knife.

From Seattle Times

Despite requests from the media since the 1990s, the Arkansas prison system does not let citizen witnesses watch guards escort the inmate to the death chamber or watch the placement of intravenous lines.

From Washington Times

The DEA is the government’s watch guard for drugs that are illegally manufactured, distributed or dispensed.

From Los Angeles Times

The Black Lives Matter movement was born after the shooting death in 2012 of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager, by a self-appointed neighborhood watch guard in Florida.

From The Guardian