guard

/ɡɑːrd/
person or thing that protects

The security guard stood at the entrance.

A person hired to protect a place or people.


general

A person who protects or defends someone or something.

A prison guard watched the inmates carefully.

A person responsible for overseeing prisoners.

She hired a bodyguard to protect her during the event.

A personal protector against threats.

Can refer to a professional role (e.g., security guard) or a general protector.

Engineering
technical

A device or mechanism for protection or safety.

The circuit has a fuse as a guard against overload.

A safety component preventing damage.

Often used in mechanical or electrical systems.

general

To watch over and protect someone or something.

The dog guarded the house all night.

The dog stayed alert to protect the property.

Soldiers guarded the border against intruders.

They monitored and defended the boundary.

Commonly used in military, security, or domestic contexts.

technical

A defensive stance or position in sports or martial arts.

He took a defensive guard in boxing to block punches.

A posture to protect against attacks.

Refers to a specific body position for defense.

Collocations

security guarda person hired to protect a placebodyguarda personal protectoron guardalert and ready to defendguard againstto prevent something from happening

Related Phrases

off one's guardphrase
not alert or prepared
stand guardphrase
to be vigilant and protective
guard dutyphrase
a shift of watching over something

Pro Tip

Common Collocations

Learn phrases like 'security guard', 'bodyguard', and 'on guard' to sound natural. These are frequently used in everyday English.

Gold Rule

Noun vs. Verb

Remember 'guard' as a noun refers to a person or thing that protects, while as a verb it means to protect or defend.

Word Origin

From Old French 'garde' (watchman, guard), from Frankish *wardon (to guard, protect), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *wardōną (to guard). Related to 'ward' and 'warden'.

Usage Notes

Can be used as a noun (person/thing) or verb (action). Common in security, military, and sports contexts.

Word Breakdown

guard
protect
root
English Dictionary