# guarding

Pronunciation: US say "GAHR-ding" /ˈɡɑɹdɪŋ/; UK say "GAH-ding" /ˈɡɑːdɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of guard. — present participle and gerund of guard
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of guard. Use it for action happening now or as the name of the activity.
   - _Two soldiers were guarding the entrance to the palace._
   - _Guarding the witness became the team's most urgent task._

## Noun

2. The duty of a person who watches over and protects someone or something.
   - Simple: The job of watching over and protecting a person or place.
   - _Guarding the vault fell to the most trusted members of the staff._
   - _Long hours of guarding left the sentries exhausted by dawn._
3. A protective rail or barrier fitted to prevent falls or contact with a hazard; a guardrail.
   - Simple: A rail or barrier that stops people or things from falling or going somewhere unsafe.
   - _Inspectors ordered new guarding along the stairwell after the accident._
   - _The lathe came with guarding that shielded the operator from flying chips._
4. Tensing of the muscles, especially of the abdomen, to limit movement and reduce irritation of inflamed organs inside the body.
   - Simple: Tightening the stomach muscles to protect sore organs inside from painful movement.
   - _The patient showed marked guarding over the lower right abdomen during the exam._
   - _Guarding alerted the surgeon to possible inflammation beneath the abdominal wall._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/guarding (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).