coast guard

Guard \Guard\, 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.]
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   1. One who, or that which, guards from injury, danger,
      exposure, or attack; defense; protection.
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            His greatness was no guard to bar heaven's shaft.
                                                  --Shak.
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   2. A man, or body of men, stationed to protect or control a
      person or position; a watch; a sentinel.
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            The guard which kept the door of the king's house.
                                                  --Kings xiv.
                                                  27.
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   3. One who has charge of a mail coach or a railway train; a
      conductor. [Eng.]
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   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.
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   5. A posture of defense in fencing, and in bayonet and saber
      exercise.
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   6. An expression or admission intended to secure against
      objections or censure.
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            They have expressed themselves with as few guards
            and restrictions as I.                --Atterbury.
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   7. Watch; heed; care; attention; as, to keep guard.
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   8. (Zool.) The fibrous sheath which covers the phragmacone of
      the Belemnites.
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   Note: Guard is often used adjectively or in combination; as,
         guard boat or guardboat; guardroom or guard room; guard
         duty.
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   {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.
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Coast \Coast\ (k[=o]st), n. [OF. coste, F. c[^o]te, rib, hill,
   shore, coast, L. costa rib, side. Cf. {Accost}, v. t.,
   {Cutlet}.]
   1. The side of a thing. [Obs.] --Sir I. Newton.
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   2. The exterior line, limit, or border of a country; frontier
      border. [Obs.]
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            From the river, the river Euphrates, even to the
            uttermost sea, shall your coast be.   --Deut. xi.
                                                  24.
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   3. The seashore, or land near it.
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            He sees in English ships the Holland coast.
                                                  --Dryden.
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            We the Arabian coast do know
            At distance, when the species blow.   --Waller.
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   {The coast is clear}, the danger is over; no enemy in sight.
      --Dryden. Fig.: There are no obstacles. "Seeing that the
      coast was clear, Zelmane dismissed Musidorus." --Sir P.
      Sidney.

   {Coast guard}.
      (a) A body of men originally employed along the coast to
          prevent smuggling; now, under the control of the
          admiralty, drilled as a naval reserve. [Eng.]
      (b) The force employed in life-saving stations along the
          seacoast. [U. S.]

   {Coast rat} (Zool.), a South African mammal ({Bathyergus
      suillus}), about the size of a rabbit, remarkable for its
      extensive burrows; -- called also {sand mole}.

   {Coast waiter}, a customhouse officer who superintends the
      landing or shipping of goods for the coast trade. [Eng.]
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53 Moby Thesaurus words for "coast guard":
      Naval Construction Battalion, RN, Royal Navy, Seabees, USN,
      United States Navy, advance guard, air-sea rescue, argosy, armada,
      armed guard, bank guard, cordon, cordon sanitaire, division,
      escadrille, fleet, flotilla, garrison, goalie, goalkeeper,
      goaltender, guard, guarder, guardsman, inlying picket, jailer,
      lifeboat, lifeguard, lifesaver, marine, merchant fleet,
      merchant marine, merchant navy, mosquito fleet, naval forces,
      naval militia, naval reserve, navy, outguard, outpost, picket,
      rear guard, rescuer, savior, security guard, squadron, task force,
      task group, train guard, van, vanguard, warder