n. (Naut.) The seaman or seamen stationed on the poop or after part of the ship, to attend the after-sails. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Sp., contr. of agua ardiente burning water (L. aqua water + ardens burning). ] 1. A inferior brandy of Spain and Portugal. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A strong alcoholic drink, especially pulque. [ Mexico and Spanish America. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. avant before + E. guard, F. avant-garde. See Avaunt. ] 1. The van or advanced body of an army. See Vanguard. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Same as avant-garde, n.. [ PJC ]

The part of the framing of a railway car or truck, by which an axle box is held laterally, and in which it may move vertically; -- also called a jaw in the United States, and a housing in England. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ F. bégard, béguard; cf. G. beghard, LL. Beghardus, Begihardus, Begardus. Prob. from the root of beguine + -ard or -hard. See Beguine. ] (Eccl. Hist.) One of an association of religious laymen living in imitation of the Beguines. They arose in the thirteenth century, were afterward subjected to much persecution, and were suppressed by Innocent X. in 1650. Called also Beguins. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Blackguarded; p. pr. & vb. n. Blackguarding. ] To revile or abuse in scurrilous language. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Scurrilous; abusive; low; worthless; vicious; as, blackguard language. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Black + guard. ] 1. The scullions and lower menials of a court, or of a nobleman's household, who, in a removal from one residence to another, had charge of the kitchen utensils, and being smutted by them, were jocularly called the “black guard”; also, the servants and hangers-on of an army. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A lousy slave, that . . . rode with the black guard in the duke's carriage, 'mongst spits and dripping pans. Webster (1612). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The criminals and vagrants or vagabonds of a town or community, collectively. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A person of stained or low character, esp. one who uses scurrilous language, or treats others with foul abuse; a scoundrel; a rough. [ 1913 Webster ]

A man whose manners and sentiments are decidedly below those of his class deserves to be called a blackguard. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A vagrant; a bootblack; a gamin. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The conduct or language of a blackguard; ruffianism. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & a. In the manner of or resembling a blackguard; abusive; scurrilous; ruffianly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A guard or group of guards to protect or defend the person; a lifeguard. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Retinue; attendance; following. Bp. Porteus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The guard or defense of a castle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (O. Eng. Law) A tax or imposition an a dwelling within a certain distance of a castle, for the purpose of maintaining watch and ward in it; castle-ward. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A feudal tenure, obliging the tenant to perform service within the realm, without limitation of time. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A joint guardian. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Fort.) A low outwork before a bastion or ravelin, consisting of two lines of rampart parallel to the faces of the bastion, and protecting them from a breaching fire. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a person who stands at a street crossing to assist children to cross the street safely; -- usually used near schools during the times that children are entering or leaving the school. Crossing guards may be employed by a municipality as auxiliary police officers, or may be unpaid volunteers. Some wear uniforms, others do not. They are commonly older citizens who are retired or not employed full-time at other tasks. At some schools, older students from the school are trained to perform the function of crossing guards. [ PJC ]

v. t. To surround as with a guard. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. esgart regard, F. égard. See Guard. ] Guard. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl.

pl. Infantry soldiers belonging to select regiments called the Guards. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Guarded; p. pr. & vb. n. Gurding. ] [ OF. guarder, garder, warder, F. garder, fr. OHG. wart&unr_;n to be on the watch, await, G. marten. See Ward, v. & n., and cf. Guard, n. ] 1. To protect from danger; to secure against surprise, attack, or injury; to keep in safety; to defend; to shelter; to shield from surprise or attack; to protect by attendance; to accompany for protection; to care for. [ 1913 Webster ]

For Heaven still guards the right. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To keep watch over, in order to prevent escape or restrain from acts of violence, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To protect the edge of, esp. with an ornamental border; hence, to face or ornament with lists, laces, etc.

The body of your discourse is sometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but slightly basted on neither. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To fasten by binding; to gird. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson.

Syn. -- To defend; protect; shield; keep; watch. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To watch by way of caution or defense; to be cautious; to be in a state or position of defense or safety; as, careful persons guard against mistakes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. guarde, F. garde; of German origin; cf. OHG. wart, warto, one who watches, warta a watching, Goth. wardja watchman. See Guard, v. t. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. One who, or that which, guards from injury, danger, exposure, or attack; defense; protection. [ 1913 Webster ]

His greatness was no guard to bar heaven's shaft. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A man, or body of men, stationed to protect or control a person or position; a watch; a sentinel. [ 1913 Webster ]

The guard which kept the door of the king's house. Kings xiv. 27. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One who has charge of a mail coach or a railway train; a conductor. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Any fixture or attachment designed to protect or secure against injury, soiling, or defacement, theft or loss; as: (a) That part of a sword hilt which protects the hand. (b) Ornamental lace or hem protecting the edge of a garment. (c) A chain or cord for fastening a watch to one's person or dress. (d) A fence or rail to prevent falling from the deck of a vessel. (e) An extension of the deck of a vessel beyond the hull; esp., in side-wheel steam vessels, the framework of strong timbers, which curves out on each side beyond the paddle wheel, and protects it and the shaft against collision. (f) A plate of metal, beneath the stock, or the lock frame, of a gun or pistol, having a loop, called a bow, to protect the trigger. (g) (Bookbinding) An interleaved strip at the back, as in a scrap book, to guard against its breaking when filled. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A posture of defense in fencing, and in bayonet and saber exercise. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. An expression or admission intended to secure against objections or censure. [ 1913 Webster ]

They have expressed themselves with as few guards and restrictions as I. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Watch; heed; care; attention; as, to keep guard. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Zool.) The fibrous sheath which covers the phragmacone of the Belemnites. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Guard is often used adjectively or in combination; as, guard boat or guardboat; guardroom or guard room; guard duty. [ 1913 Webster ]

Advanced guard,
Coast guard, etc. See under Advanced, Coast, etc. --
Grand guard (Mil.), one of the posts of the second line belonging to a system of advance posts of an army. Mahan. --
Guard boat. (a) A boat appointed to row the rounds among ships of war in a harbor, to see that their officers keep a good lookout. (b) A boat used by harbor authorities to enforce the observance of quarantine regulations. --
Guard cells (Bot.), the bordering cells of stomates; they are crescent-shaped and contain chlorophyll. --
Guard chamber, a guardroom. --
Guard detail (Mil.), men from a company regiment etc., detailed for guard duty. --
Guard duty (Mil.), the duty of watching patrolling, etc., performed by a sentinel or sentinels. --
Guard lock (Engin.), a tide lock at the mouth of a dock or basin. --
Guard of honor (Mil.), a guard appointed to receive or to accompany eminent persons. --
Guard rail (Railroads), a rail placed on the inside of a main rail, on bridges, at switches, etc., as a safeguard against derailment. --
Guard ship, a war vessel appointed to superintend the marine affairs in a harbor, and also, in the English service, to receive seamen till they can be distributed among their respective ships. --
Life guard (Mil.), a body of select troops attending the person of a prince or high officer. --
Off one's guard, in a careless state; inattentive; unsuspicious of danger. --
On guard, serving in the capacity of a guard; doing duty as a guard or sentinel; watching. --
On one's guard, in a watchful state; alert; vigilant. --
To mount guard (Mil.), to go on duty as a guard or sentinel. --
To run the guard, to pass the watch or sentinel without leave.

Syn. -- Defense; shield; protection; safeguard; convoy; escort; care; attention; watch; heed. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. gardable. See Guard, v. t. ] Capable of being guarded or protected. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. wardage. See Guard, v. t. ] Wardship [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OF. guardant, p. pr. of guard&unr_;. See Guard, v. t. ] 1. Acting as guardian. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Her.) Same as Gardant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A guardian. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Cautious; wary; circumspect; as, he was guarded in his expressions; framed or uttered with caution; as, his expressions were guarded. -- Guard"edly, adv. -- Guard"ed*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Guardianship. [ Obs. & R. ] “ His tuition and guardenage.” Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who guards. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The garfish. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Cautious; wary; watchful. [ Obs. or Poetic. ] -- Guard"ful*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. (Mil.) A building which is occupied by the guard, and in which soldiers are confined for misconduct; hence, a lock-up. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. guardain, gardien, F. gardien, LL. guardianus. See Guard, v. t., and cf. Wasden. ] 1. One who guards, preserves, or secures; one to whom any person or thing is committed for protection, security, or preservation from injury; a warden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) One who has, or is entitled to, the custody of the person or property of an infant, a minor without living parents, or a person incapable of managing his own affairs. [ 1913 Webster ]

Of the several species of guardians, the first are guardians by nature. -- viz., the father and (in some cases) the mother of the child. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

Guardian ad litem fld>(Law), a guardian appointed by a court of justice to conduct a particular suit. --
Guardians of the poor, the members of a board appointed or elected to care for the relief of the poor within a township, or district. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Performing, or appropriate to, the office of a protector; as, a guardian care. [ 1913 Webster ]

Feast of Guardian Angels (R. C. Ch.) a church festival instituted by Pope Paul V., and celebrated on October 2d. --
Guardian angel. (a) The particular spiritual being believed in some branches of the Christian church to have guardianship and protection of each human being from birth. (b) Hence, a protector or defender in general. O. W. Holmes. --
Guardian spirit, in the belief of many pagan nations, a spirit, often of a deceased relative or friend, that presides over the interests of a household, a city, or a region. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Guardianship. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Guardianship. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female guardian. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have placed a trusty, watchful guardianess. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without a guardian. Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office, duty, or care, of a guardian; protection; care; watch. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without a guard or defense; unguarded. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a railing placed alongside a stairway or road for safety.
Syn. -- safety rail. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Mil.) The room occupied by the guard during its term of duty; also, a room where prisoners are confined. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. A body of picked troops; as, “The Household Guards.” [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Care; protection. [ Obs. ] Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Guardsmen 1. One who guards; a guard. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A member, either officer or private, of any military body called Guards. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Mil.) A body of cavalry so called; esp., a British regiment, called the Royal Horse Guards, which furnishes guards of state for the sovereign. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Horse Guards, a name given to the former headquarters of the commander in chief of the British army, at Whitehall in London. [ 1913 Webster ]

pred. adj. not watching for possible danger; not alert; as, caught in an off-guard moment. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Mil.) A guard or small body of troops at a distance from the main body of an army, to watch for the approach of an enemy; hence, anything for defense placed at a distance from the thing to be defended. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Her.) Same as Regardant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Safe = guard: cf. F. sauvegarde. ] 1. One who, or that which, defends or protects; defense; protection. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thy sword, the safeguard of thy brother's throne. Granville. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A convoy or guard to protect a traveler or property. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A pass; a passport; a safe-conduct. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To guard; to protect. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]