guard

GARD/ɡɑɹd/UKGAHD/ɡɑːd/

Pluralguards

Verbguards, guarding, guarded

20 meanings of guard

Practice

1
watchmannouncountable
A person or group whose job is to watch and protect a place or person, or keep prisoners in.
Like a fence that keeps your yard safe.
The guard at the gate checked every car before letting it in.
We hired a night guard to watch the building.
UsageOften in security guard or prison guard.
Similarsentry, watchman, warder, sentinel
2
verbtransitive
To watch over someone or something to keep it safe, or to stop someone from escaping.
Like holding an umbrella over someone to keep the rain off them.
Soldiers guard the palace day and night.
She guards her little brother on the way to school.
Similarprotect, defend, watch, secure, shield
Oppositeattack
Note
3
team positionnouncountable
In basketball, a player who usually handles the ball and plays farther from the basket.
Their guard sank a long shot from the corner.
A quick guard can steal the ball and score fast.
Note
4
nouncountable
A cover or pad that keeps people or things from getting hurt or damaged, like a shin guard.
Like a fence around a hole so no one falls in.
Never remove the guard from the saw while it is running.
The machine's guard keeps fingers away from the moving blade.
Similarshield, cover, protector, screen
5
noununcountable
Being careful and ready for danger, or a way of holding your body that protects you from attack.
Like keeping your hands ready to catch a ball at any moment.
Keep your guard up when you walk home late at night.
The boxer dropped his guard for a second and got hit.
UsageSay let your guard down or keep your guard up.
6
football linemannouncountable
In American football, an offensive player next to the center who blocks for teammates.
The guard blocked hard to protect the quarterback.
Their best guard opened a wide hole for the runner.
Note
7
verbtransitive or intransitive
To stay careful and ready in order to keep yourself safe.
Like looking both ways before crossing the street.
Wash your hands often to guard against illness.
Good drivers always guard against sudden dangers on the road.
UsageSay guard against a danger.
8
verbtransitive
In basketball and similar sports, to stay close to a player on the other team so they cannot score, pass, or catch.
The coach told me to guard the tallest girl on the other team.
He guarded their best player so closely that she barely touched the ball.
UsageIn basketball you guard a player. In soccer you mark one.
Similarmark, cover, shadow
Note

Less common meanings

9
train officialnouncountable
A railway worker, not the driver, who travels on a train and helps keep it and its passengers safe.
Like a safety helper who rides along to make sure the whole train is okay.
The guard walked through the train checking that every door was shut.
She waved to the guard standing at the back of the last car.
Similarconductor
Note
10
sword partnouncountable
The part of a sword that keeps the user's hand safe.
The sword's guard stopped the enemy blade from reaching his fingers.
A heavy brass guard protected the swordsman's hand.
Similarcrossguard, quillon
Note
11
grapplingnouncountable
A fighting position where one person lies on their back and uses their legs to control the other.
Like trapping someone with your legs while lying down so they can't get away.
She held him in her guard until the round ended.
Lying on his back, he wrapped his legs around his opponent to close his guard.
Note
12
nounIrelandcountable
A police officer, especially a member of the Irish police force.
We called the guards after someone broke into our house in Cork.
A guard from the station in Galway came to ask about our stolen bike.
Similarofficer, policeman, garda
Note
13
Russian elite unitnouncountableplural
A top unit of soldiers with special honor, like the Guards regiments of Britain or of Russia.
The tsar's Guard marched past the palace in their bright uniforms.
His tank division fought so well that it was given the title of Guards.
Note
14
nounAustraliacountable
The part of a car body that covers a wheel, especially a front wheel.
The crash left a deep dent in the front guard.
He repainted the rusty guard before selling the car.
Similarfender, wing
Note
15
code checknouncountable
In computer programs, a true-or-false test that must be true before some code can run.
Like a gate that only opens when something is true.
The guard stops the code from running if the number is zero.
We added a guard to check that the file exists first.
Note
16
cricket stancenoununcountable
In cricket, the spot where a batter marks the ground to line up with the wicket.
He scratched his guard into the dry pitch before facing the bowler.
The batter marked her guard on the crease before the first ball.
UsageBatters take guard before they face the ball.
Note
17
emergency radionoununcountable
In flying, the radio channel kept free for emergency calls, usually 121.5 MHz.
The pilot called for help on guard.
Air traffic control picked up the distress signal on guard.
Note
18
watch chainnouncountable
A chain used to attach a pocket watch to clothing so it would not be lost.
Grandpa's pocket watch hung from a gold guard on his vest.
She fastened her watch to a thin silver guard.
Similarchain, fob
19
trim edgesverbtransitive
To cover or trim the edge of something, often with a decorative border.
The body of your discourse is sometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but slightly basted on neither.
1598, William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”Here, guarded means trimmed with strips sewn along the edge, like on clothing.
Similartrim, edge, border, face
Note
20
verbobsolete
To fasten something tightly by binding or wrapping it.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of guard apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1, 3–6, 9–18

From Middle English garde, from Old French guarde meaning a guardian or keeper.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Guard comes from Middle English garde. en.wiktionary.org
Middle English garde comes from Old French guarde. en.wiktionary.org
Old French guarde meant a guardian or keeper. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 2, 7–8, 19

From Old French guarder, meaning "to keep or protect," going back through Latin and Frankish to a Proto-Germanic word meaning "to guard."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

The English verb derives from Old French guarder. en.wiktionary.org
Old French guarder meant to keep or protect. en.wiktionary.org
The French verb derives through Latin from Frankish. en.wiktionary.org
The ultimate Proto-Germanic source meant to guard. en.wiktionary.org