watch and ward
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Continuous vigilance; guard by night (watcli) and by day (ward). In feudal times service "by watch and ward" was due by certain tenants in towns; later the term was applied to the constabulary.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “watch and ward” mean?
Continuous vigilance; guard by night (watcli) and by day (ward). In feudal times service "by watch and ward" was due by certain tenants in towns; later the term was applied to the constabulary.
Is “watch and ward” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.