GUARDING
Verb
guarding
present participle of guard
Noun
guarding (uncountable)
(medical sign) Tensing of the muscles, especially of the abdomen, in order to minimise the movement and agitation to the internal inflamed organs.
Source: Wiktionary
GUARD
Guard, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Guarded; p. pr. &, vb. n. Gurding.] Etym:
[OF. guarder, garder, warder, F. garder, fr. OHG. wart 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; toaccompany for
protection; to vare for.
For Heaven still guards the right. Shak.
2. To keep watch over, in order to prevent escape or restrain from
acts of violence, or the like.
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 it sometime guarded with fragments, and
the guards are but slightly basted on neither. Shak.
4. To fasten by binding; to gird. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
Syn.
– To defend, protect, shield; keep; watch.
Guard (gärd), v. i.
Definition: To watch by way of caution or defense; to be caution; to be in
a state or position of defense or safety; as, careful persons guard
against mistakes.
Guard, n. Etym: [OF. guarde, F. garde; of German origin; cf. OHG.
wart, marto, one who watches, mata a watching, Goth. wardja watchman.
See Guard, v. t.]
1. One who, or that which, guards from injury, danger, exposure, or
attack; defense; protection.
His greatness was no guard to bar heaven's shaft. Shak.
2. A man, or body of men, stationed to protect or control a person or
position; a watch; a sentinel.
The guard which kept the door of the king's house. Kings xiv. 27.
3. One who has charge of a mail coach or a railway train; a
conductor. [Eng.]
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.
5. A posture of defense in fencing, and in bayonet and saber
exercise.
6. An expression or admission intended to secure against objections
or censure.
They have expressed themselves with as few guards and restrictions as
I. Atterbury.
7. Watch; heed; care; attention; as, to keep guard.
8. (Zoöl.)
Definition: The fibrous sheath which covers the phragmacone of the
Belemnites.
Note: Guard is often used adjectively or in combination; as, guard
boat or guardboat; guardroom or guard room; guard duty. 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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition