ward

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

v. t. watch, guard, defend, protect; fend, parry, stave [off]. —n. watch, guard, defense, protector; care, charge, custody; protégé[e], dependent, minor; precinct, district; hospital room. See repulsion, region, remedy, prison, subjection.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [A territorial division]

Syn. district, division, territory, canton, precinct, department, diocese, Parish, arrondissement.

2. [A juvenile charge]

Syn. protégé, Dependent, child, foster child, charge, orphan, godchild, adopted child.

3. [Hospital room]

Syn. convalescent chamber, infirmary, emergency ward; see hospital , room 2 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

1. wing section, division, room, annex, pavilion.

2. district quarter, area, zone, precinct, borough, diocese.

3. charge foster child, dependent, minor, protege, incompetent.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I noun 1. A person who relies on another for support: charge, dependent. See GIVE. 2. The state of being detained by legal authority: charge, confinement, custody, detention. See FREE. 3. The act or a means of defending: defense, guard, preservation, protection, protector, safeguard, security, shield. See ATTACK. 4. A person or special body of persons assigned to provide protection or keep watch over, for example: guard, lookout, picket, protector, sentinel, sentry, watch. See AWARENESS, SAFETY. II verb 1. To keep safe from danger, attack, or harm: defend, guard, preserve, protect, safeguard, secure, shield. Archaic: fend. See ATTACK. 2. To prohibit from occurring by advance planning or action. Also used with off: avert, forestall, forfend, obviate, preclude, prevent, rule out, stave off. Idiom: nip in the bud. See ALLOW.