Guard Police Armed Extra Examples Duty Soldiers Players

• prison/border guards
• the building is protected by armed guards.
• the prisoner slipped past the guards on the gate and escaped.
• a guard was posted outside the building.

guard

1. a person, such as a soldier, a police officer or a prison officer, who protects a place or people, or prevents prisoners from escaping
• COMPARE warder
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/warder
• prison/border guards
• The building is protected by armed guards.
• The prisoner slipped past the guards on the gate and escaped.
• A guard was posted outside the building.

Extra Examples

• Guards had been posted all around the TV studio.
• Guards patrolled the perimeter fence.
• The border guard checked our papers before waving us through.
2. the act or duty of protecting property, places or people from attack or danger; the act or duty of preventing prisoners from escaping
• a sentry on guard (= at his or her post, on duty)
• to be on guard duty
• The escaped prisoner was brought back under armed guard.
• The terrorist was kept under police guard.

Extra Examples

• Two sentries stood on guard.
• The suspects were kept under police guard.
• He fell asleep on guard duty.
• He was doing guard duty at the entrance to the embassy.
• Would you like me to keep guard of your room?
• Two police officers kept guard over the burned-out building.
• The prisoners were under close guard.
• The accused was taken to court under armed guard.
• Soldiers stood guard on the city gates.
• Several police officers were on guard outside the factory.
• He arrived under heavy guard.
3. a group of people, such as soldiers or police officers, who protect somebody/something
• SEE ALSO advance guard
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/advance-guard
• the captain of the guard
• the changing of the guard (= when one group replaces another)
• The guard is/are being inspected today.
• Fellow airmen provided a guard of honour at his wedding.
• The president always travels with an armed guard.

Extra Examples

• Fellow soldiers from Corporal Smith's regiment formed a guard of honour at his wedding.
• The guard was changed every two hours.
• A group of tourists was watching the changing of the guard outside the palace.
• It would only be a matter of minutes before the alarm was raised and the guard called out.
• The coffin was accompanied by a guard of honour.
4. (in the UK and some other countries) special regiments of soldiers whose original duty was to protect the king or queen
• the Scots Guards
• a Guards officer
5. something that covers a part of a person’s body or a dangerous part of a machine to prevent injury
• SEE ALSO fireguard
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/fireguard
• All players wear helmets and face guards.
• Ensure the guard is in place before operating the machine.
6. conductor (= a person who is in charge of a train and travels with it, but does not drive it)
7. a position you take to defend yourself, especially in a sport such as boxing or fencing
• to drop/keep up your guard
• In spite of the awkward questions the minister never let his guard fall for a moment.

Extra Examples

• Matt relaxed a little, dropping his guard.
• No one can keep their guard up all the time.
8. one of the two players on a basketball team who are mainly responsible for staying close to players of the other team to stop them from scoring
• SEE ALSO point guard
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/point-guard
9. one of the two players on an American football team who play either side of the centre forward
• SEE ALSO pulling guard
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/pulling-guard
10. to be very careful and prepared for something difficult or dangerous
• He was always on his guard against moneymaking schemes.
11. to stop being careful and preparing yourself for possible danger or difficulty
• You can never drop your guard with a two-year-old.
• Even when he's winning, he never drops his guard.
12. to watch or protect somebody/something
• Four soldiers stood guard over the coffin.
• One of the men kept guard, while the other broke into the house.
13. not careful or prepared for something difficult or dangerous
• The lawyer’s apparently innocent question was designed to catch the witness off (his) guard.

Extra Examples

• He caught me completely off guard.
• The question seemed to catch him off his guard.

Word Origin

• late Middle English (in the sense ‘care, custody’): from Old French garde (noun), garder (verb), of West Germanic origin. Compare with ward.