Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

watchman

/ˈwɒtʃmən/ noun

In Latin: custos, vigil, excubitor Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about watchman at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A man set to watch: a man who keeps guard, especially one who guards a building, or the streets of a city, by night; any such person of any sex or gender.

Origin

From Middle English waccheman. By surface analysis, watch + -man.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word