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Added 9 October 2026

watchword

/ˈwɒt͡ʃwɜː(ɹ)d/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about watchword at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A slogan used to rally support for a cause.
a cry to arms
A secret word or phrase known only to a restricted group.
he forgot the password

Origin

From Middle English wacche word, wacchworde, morphologically as watch (“guard, sentinel, sentry”) + word.

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

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