from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Watchman \Watch"man\, n.; pl. {Watchmen}.
[1913 Webster]
1. One set to watch; a person who keeps guard; a guard; a
sentinel.
[1913 Webster]
2. Specifically, one who guards a building, or the streets of
a city, by night.
[1913 Webster]
{Watchman beetle} (Zool.), the European dor.
{Watchman's clock}, a watchman's detector in which the
apparatus for recording the times of visiting several
stations is contained within a single clock.
{Watchman's detector}, or {Watchman's time detector}, an
apparatus for recording the time when a watchman visits a
station on his rounds.
{Watchman's rattle}, an instrument having at the end of a
handle a revolving arm, which, by the action of a strong
spring upon cogs, produces, when in motion, a loud, harsh,
rattling sound.
[1913 Webster]