guards

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of guard.

   The guards patrolled the perimeter fence throughout the night.

   Armored cars carried the guards to the front gate before dawn.

   Note

   The plural carries one meaning the singular rarely does: an elite military unit in Russia, the former Soviet Union and several post-Soviet countries is often named in the plural. Elsewhere the plural simply counts protectors, whether people, squads, the hand-shields of swords or the safety covers on machines. In Ireland a guard is a garda, so guards there can mean police officers.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of guard.

   The dog guards the front door whenever strangers approach.

   A thick layer of bark guards the tree against winter frost.

   Note

   The verb form almost always takes a direct object: a dog guards a door, and a sentry guards a prisoner to prevent escape. Only the cautious sense can do without one, as when someone guards against a mistake rather than guarding a thing. Older craft meanings survive as well. A border of lace guards the edge of a garment, and to guard can also mean to bind or gird.

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