guard

guard
    n 1: a person who keeps watch over something or someone
    2: the person who plays that position on a football team; "the
       left guard was injured on the play"
    3: a device designed to prevent injury or accidents [syn:
       {guard}, {safety}, {safety device}]
    4: a posture of defence in boxing or fencing; "keep your guard
       up"
    5: the person who plays the position of guard on a basketball
       team
    6: a military unit serving to protect some place or person
    7: a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or
       damage or injury etc.; "he put an ice pack on the injury as a
       precaution"; "an insurance policy is a good safeguard"; "we
       let our guard down" [syn: {precaution}, {safeguard}, {guard}]
    8: the duty of serving as a sentry; "he was on guard that night"
       [syn: {guard duty}, {guard}, {sentry duty}, {sentry go}]
    9: (American football) a position on the line of scrimmage;
       "guards must be good blockers"
    10: a position on a basketball team
    v 1: to keep watch over; "there would be men guarding the
         horses"
    2: watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect; "guard my
       possessions while I'm away" [syn: {guard}, {ward}]
    3: protect against a challenge or attack; "Hold that position
       behind the trees!"; "Hold the bridge against the enemy's
       attacks" [syn: {defend}, {guard}, {hold}]
    4: take precautions in order to avoid some unwanted consequence;
       "guard against becoming too friendly with the staff"; "guard
       against infection"
    

Guard \Guard\ (g[aum]rd), 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]
    

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.]
   [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]

   Note: 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]
    

Guard \Guard\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Guarded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Gurding}.] [OF. guarder, garder, warder, F. garder, fr. OHG.
   wart?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]
    

guard

   <programming> 1. In {functional programming}, a {Boolean}
   expression attached to a function definition specifying when
   (for what arguments) that definition is appropriate.

   2. In (parallel) {logic programming}, a Boolean expression
   which is used to select a {clause} from several alternative
   matching clauses.

   See {Guarded Horn Clauses}.

   3. In {parallel} languages, a {Boolean} expression which
   specifies when an message may be sent or received.

   (1995-05-09)
    

Guard
(1.) Heb. tabbah (properly a "cook," and in a secondary sense
"executioner," because this office fell to the lot of the cook
in Eastern countries), the bodyguard of the kings of Egypt (Gen.
37:36) and Babylon (2 Kings 25:8; Jer. 40:1; Dan. 2:14).

  (2.) Heb. rats, properly a "courier," one whose office was to
run before the king's chariot (2 Sam. 15:1; 1 Kings 1:5). The
couriers were also military guards (1 Sam. 22:17; 2 Kings
10:25). They were probably the same who under David were called
Pelethites (1 Kings 14:27; 2 Sam. 15:1).

  (3.) Heb. mishmereth, one who watches (Neh. 4:22), or a
watch-station (7:3; 12:9; Job 7:12).

  In the New Testament (Mark 6:27) the Authorized Version
renders the Greek _spekulator_ by "executioner," earlier English
versions by "hangman," the Revised Version by "soldier of his
guard." The word properly means a "pikeman" or "halberdier," of
whom the bodyguard of kings and princes was composed. In Matt.
27:65, 66; 28:11, the Authorized Version renders the Greek
_kustodia_ by "watch," and the Revised Version by "guard," the
Roman guard, which consisted of four soldiers, who were relieved
every three hours (Acts 12:4). The "captain of the guard"
mentioned Acts 28:16 was the commander of the Praetorian troops,
whose duty it was to receive and take charge of all prisoners
from the provinces.
    

350 Moby Thesaurus words for "guard":
      Coldstream Guards, Foot Guards, Grenadier Guards, Life Guards,
      Scots Guards, accompany, advance guard, advocate, aegis,
      amateur athlete, apologist, archer, arm, arm guard, armament,
      armed guard, armor, arrest, athlete, attend, avoidance reaction,
      backstop, baggage man, bakehead, ballplayer, bank guard,
      baseballer, baseman, batter, battery, beefeaters, bless,
      blocking back, bodyguard, bowman, brakeman, brakie, bridle, buffer,
      bull, bulwark, bumper, butcher, catcher, cavalier, center,
      champion, chaperon, check, cloak, coach, coast guard, commandant,
      companion, compass about, competitor, conduct, conductor, conserve,
      constrain, contain, contraceptive, control, convoy, cool, cool off,
      copyright, cordon, cordon sanitaire, cover, crash helmet,
      cricketer, curb, curtail, cushion, custodian, custodianship,
      custody, dashboard, decelerate, defence, defend, defender, defense,
      defense in depth, defense mechanism, defenses, defensive lineman,
      deterrent capacity, dispatcher, dodger, dompt, duenna, eagle eye,
      ego defenses, end, enjoin, ensure, escape mechanism, escort,
      esquire, eye, face mask, fellow traveler, fence, fend, fender,
      finger guard, fireman, flank, foot guard, footballer,
      footplate man, fuse, games-player, gamester, gaoler, garrison,
      gentleman-at-arms, goalie, goalkeeper, goaltender, goggles, govern,
      governor, guarantee, guard against, guardedness, guarder, guardian,
      guardianship, guardrail, guards, guardsman, guide, hand guard,
      handrail, harbor, hard hat, haven, helmet, hinder, hold at bay,
      hold back, hold fast, hold in, hold in check, hold in leash,
      hold up, household troops, infielder, inhibit, inlying picket,
      insulation, insure, interlock, invigilation, jailer, jock, jumper,
      keep, keep alive, keep back, keep from, keep from harm, keep in,
      keep in check, keep intact, keep inviolate, keep safe,
      keep under control, keep up, keep watch over, keeper, knee guard,
      knuckle guard, laminated glass, lay under restraint, lead, lee,
      life preserver, lifeline, lightning conductor, lightning rod,
      lineman, look after, lookout, maintain, make safe, marshal, mask,
      mind, monitoring, mudguard, negative taxis, nestle, nose guard,
      not destroy, not endanger, not expend, not use up, not waste,
      observance, offensive lineman, outfield, outfielder, outguard,
      outpost, pad, padding, paladin, palladium, patent, patrol,
      patrolman, peeled eye, picket, pilot, player, police, poloist,
      porter, praetorian guard, preservation, preserve, preventive,
      principal keeper, prison guard, proctoring, professional athlete,
      prohibit, prophylactic, protect, protection, protective clothing,
      protective custody, protective umbrella, protector, prudence,
      psychological defenses, pugilist, pull, pull in, quarterback,
      qui vive, racer, railroad man, railroader, rear guard, redcap,
      refuge, register, rein, rein in, resistance, restrain, retard,
      retrench, ride shotgun for, safe-conduct, safeguard, safekeeping,
      safety, safety glass, safety plug, safety rail, safety shoes,
      safety switch, safety valve, save, screen, screw, seat belt,
      secure, security, security guard, self-defense, self-preservation,
      self-protection, sentinel, sentry, set back, shade, shadow,
      sharp eye, shelter, shepherd, shield, shin guard, shroud, skater,
      slow down, smoke agent, snub, spare, sport, sportsman, squire,
      stationmaster, stewardship, stoker, straiten, sun helmet, support,
      supporter, surveillance, sustain, swain, switchman, tackle,
      tailback, take out, tend, the defensive, toxophilite, train guard,
      trainboy, trainman, trainmaster, turnkey, umbrella, underwrite,
      uphold, upholder, usher, van, vanguard, vigil, vigilance,
      vindicator, wait on, ward, warden, warder, wariness, watch,
      watch and ward, watchful eye, watchfulness, watching, watchman,
      weather eye, windscreen, windshield, wingback, withhold, wrestler,
      yardman, yardmaster, yeoman