guard (guards plural & 3rd person present) (guarding present participle) (guarded past tense & past participle )
1 verb If you guard a place, person, or object, you stand near them in order to watch and protect them.
Gunmen guarded homes near the cemetery with shotguns... V n
...the heavily guarded courtroom. V-ed
2 verb If you guard someone, you watch them and keep them in a particular place to stop them from escaping.
Marines with rifles guarded them... V n
He is being guarded by a platoon of police. be V-ed by n
3 n-count A guard is someone such as a soldier, police officer, or prison officer who is guarding a particular place or person.
The prisoners overpowered their guards and locked them in a cell.
4 n-sing-coll A guard is a specially organized group of people, such as soldiers or policemen, who protect or watch someone or something.
We have a security guard around the whole area..., A heavily armed guard of police have sealed off the city centre.
5 n-count On a train, a guard is a person whose job is to travel on the train in order to help passengers, check tickets, and make sure that the train travels safely and on time.
(BRIT)
in AM, use conductor
6 verb If you guard some information or advantage that you have, you try to protect it or keep it for yourself.
He closely guarded her identity. V n
...a threat to the country's jealously guarded unity. V-ed
7 n-count A guard is a protective device which covers a part of someone's body or a dangerous part of a piece of equipment.
usu with supp
...the chin guard of my helmet..., A blade guard is fitted to protect the operator.
8 n-in-names Some regiments in the British Army, or the soldiers in them, are referred to as Guards.
...the Grenadier Guards.
9
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guarded
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bodyguard
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coastguard
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lifeguard
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old guard
10 If someone catches you off guard, they surprise you by doing something you do not expect. If something catches you off guard, it surprises you by happening when you are not expecting it.
catch someone off guard phrase V inflects
Charm the audience and catch them off guard..., The invitation had caught me off guard.
11 If you lower your guard, let your guarddown or drop your guard, you relax when you should be careful and alert, often with unpleasant consequences.
lower/drop your guard, let your guard down phrase V inflects
The ANC could not afford to lower its guard until everything had been carried out..., You can't let your guard down...
12 If you mount guard or if you mount a guard, you organize people to watch or protect a person or place.
mount guard phrase V and N inflect
They've even mounted guard outside the main hotel in the capital...
13 If you are on your guard or on guard, you are being very careful because you think a situation might become difficult or dangerous.
on your guard phrase usu v-link PHR
The police have questioned him thoroughly, and he'll be on his guard..., He is constantly on guard against any threat of humiliation.
14 If someone is on guard, they are on duty and responsible for guarding a particular place or person.
on guard phrase usu v-link PHR
Police were on guard at Barnet town hall.
15 If you stand guard, you stand near a particular person or place because you are responsible for watching or protecting them.
stand guard phrase V inflects
One young policeman stood guard outside the locked embassy gates.
16 If someone is under guard, they are being guarded.
under guard phrase v-link PHR, PHR after v Three men were arrested and one was under guard in hospital. guard against phrasal verb If you guard against something, you are careful to prevent it from happening, or to avoid being affected by it. The armed forces were on high alert to guard against any retaliation. V P n
cattle guard (cattle guards plural )A cattle guard is the same as a cattle grid.
(AM) n-count
guard dog (guard dogs plural )A guard dog is a fierce dog that has been specially trained to protect a particular place. n-count
guard of honour (guards of honour plural )A guard of honour is an official parade of troops, usually to celebrate or honour a special occasion, such as the visit of a head of state.
(BRIT) n-count
in AM, use honor guard
guard's van (guard's vans plural )The guard's van of a train is a small carriage or part of a carriage in which the guard travels.
(BRIT) n-count
honor guard
An honor guard is a group of troops who formally greet or accompany someone special such as a visiting head of state.
(AM) n-sing
in BRIT, use guard of honour
National Guard (National Guards plural )In the United States, theNational Guard is a military force within an individual state, which can become part of the national army if there is a war or emergency. n-count usu the N
...the leader of the Arkansas National Guard.
off-guard
If someone is caughtoff-guard, they are not expecting a surprise or danger that suddenly occurs. adj v n ADJ, v-link ADJ
(=unawares)
The question caught her completely off-guard.
old guard
If you refer to a group of people as the old guard, you mean that they have worked in a particular organization for a very long time and are unwilling to accept new ideas or practices. n-sing-coll usu the/poss N (disapproval)
The old guard did not like the changes that Brewer introduced...
praetorian guard
You can use praetorian guard to refer to a group of people who are close associates and loyal supporters of someone important.
FORMAL n-sing-coll
security guard (security guards plural )A security guard is someone whose job is to protect a building or to collect and deliver large amounts of money. n-count
