noun
ward
wawd
noun
1
A section of a hospital where patients with similar needs are cared for.
"She was moved to the maternity ward after the birth."
2
An administrative division of a city, town, or borough.
"The councillor represents the northern ward of the city."
3
A person, especially a child, under the legal protection of a guardian.
"After her parents died, she became a ward of the state."
verb
1
To repel or turn aside something threatening (usually with "off").
"He raised his arm to ward off the blow."
How to Use Ward
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA protected section (of a hospital or city), a person under legal guardianship, or (as a verb) to fend something off.
Common pairings
hospital ward
ward off
ward of the court
city ward
Word Forms
warded past tense, wards plural, wards plural, wards singular
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Etymology
From Old English weard, meaning "guard" or "watchman," from a Germanic root related to heeding and defending — the same root that eventually gives us "guard" and "warden."