watch : Idioms & Phrases


Alarm clock or watch

  • a clock or watch which can be so set as to ring or strike loudly at a prearranged hour, to wake from sleep, or excite attention.
Webster 1913

analog watch

  • noun a watch that represents time by the position of hands on a dial
WordNet

Anchor watch

  • (Naut.), a detail of one or more men who keep watch on deck when a vessel is at anchor.
Webster 1913

Beat of a watch, ∨ clock

  • the stroke or sound made by the action of the escapement. A clock is in beat or out of beat, according as the strokes is at equal or unequal intervals.
Webster 1913

clock-watching

  • noun paying excessive attention to the clock (in anticipation of stopping work)
WordNet

continuous receiver watch

  • noun a watch established for the reception of traffic of interest to the unit maintaining the watch
    continuous receiver watch.
WordNet

day watch

  • noun workers who work during the day (as 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
    day shift.
WordNet

digital watch

  • noun a watch with a digital display
WordNet

Duplex watch

  • one with a duplex escapement.
Webster 1913

Equation clock ∨ watch

  • a timepiece made to exhibit the differences between mean solar and apparent solar time. Knight.
Webster 1913

fire watching

  • noun (during World War II in Britain) watching for fires started by bombs that dropped from the sky
WordNet

First watch

  • (Naut.), the watch from eight to twelve at midnight; also, the men on duty during that time.
Webster 1913

graveyard watch

  • noun a watch during the night (as from midnight to 8 a.m.)
    graveyard watch; midwatch; middle watch.
WordNet

Harbor watch

  • a watch set when a vessel is in port; an anchor watch.
Webster 1913

Hunting watch

  • noun a watch with a hinged metal lid to protect the crystal
    hunter.
WordNet
  • . See Hunter, 6.
Webster 1913

Independent seconds watch

  • a stop watch having a second hand driven by a separate set of wheels, springs, etc., for timing to a fraction of a second.
Webster 1913

Lever watch

  • a watch having a vibrating lever to connect the action of the escape wheel with that of the balance.
Webster 1913

listening watch

  • noun a watch established for the reception of traffic of interest to the unit maintaining the watch
    continuous receiver watch.
WordNet

Middle watch

  • noun a watch during the night (as from midnight to 8 a.m.)
    graveyard watch; midwatch; middle watch.
WordNet
  • the period from midnight to four A. M.; also, the men on watch during that time. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Webster 1913

Morning watch

  • (Naut.), the watch between four A. M. and eight A. M..
Webster 1913

Night watch

  • noun a watch during the night (as from midnight to 8 a.m.)
    graveyard watch; midwatch; middle watch.
WordNet
  • . (a) A period in the night, as distinguished by the change of watch. (b) A watch, or guard, to aford protection in the night .
Webster 1913

Officer of the deck, ∨ Officer of the watch

  • (Naut.), the officer temporarily in charge on the deck of a vessel, esp. a war vessel.
Webster 1913

pendulum watch

  • noun (18th century) a watch with a balance wheel having a fake pendulum attached to it
WordNet

pocket watch

  • noun a watch that is carried in a small watch pocket
WordNet

Quarter watch

  • (Naut.), a subdivision of the full watch (one fourth of the crew) on a man-of- war.
Webster 1913

Repeating watch

  • . See Repeater (a)
Webster 1913

stand watch

  • verb watch over so as to protect
    stand guard; keep guard; stand sentinel.
    • We must stand sentinel to protect ourselves
    • The jewels over which they kept guard were stolen
WordNet

Stop watch

  • noun a timepiece that can be started or stopped for exact timing (as of a race)
    stopwatch.
WordNet
  • a watch the hands of which can be stopped in order to tell exactly the time that has passed, as in timing a race. See Independent seconds watch, under Independent, a.
Webster 1913

To be on the watch

  • to be looking steadily for some event.
Webster 1913

To regulate a watchclock

  • to adjust its rate of running so that it will keep approximately standard time.
Webster 1913

To set the watch

  • (Naut.), to place the starboard or port watch on duty.
Webster 1913

To watch over

  • to be cautiously observant of; to inspect, superintend, and guard.
Webster 1913

Watch and ward

  • (Law), the charge or care of certain officers to keep a watch by night and a guard by day in towns, cities, and other districts, for the preservation of the public peace. Wharton. Burrill.
Webster 1913

Watch and watch

  • (Naut.), the regular alternation in being on watch and off watch of the two watches into which a ship's crew is commonly divided.
Webster 1913

Watch barrel

  • the brass box in a watch, containing the mainspring.
Webster 1913

Watch bell

  • (Naut.), a bell struck when the half-hour glass is run out, or at the end of each half hour. Craig.
Webster 1913

Watch bill

  • (Naut.), a list of the officers and crew of a ship as divided into watches, with their stations. Totten.
Webster 1913

watch bracelet

  • noun a band of cloth or leather or metal links attached to a wristwatch and wrapped around the wrist
    watchstrap; bracelet; watchband; wristband.
WordNet

watch cap

  • noun a knitted dark blue wool cap worn by seamen in cold or stormy weather
WordNet

Watch case

  • noun the metal case in which the works of a watch are housed
WordNet
  • the case, or outside covering, of a watch; also, a case for holding a watch, or in which it is kept.
Webster 1913

Watch chain

  • noun short chain or ribbon attaching a pocket watch to a man's vest
    watch chain; fob.
WordNet
  • . Same as watch guard, below.
Webster 1913

Watch clock

  • a watchman's clock; see under Watchman.
Webster 1913

watch crystal

  • noun a protective cover that protects the face of a watch
    crystal; watch crystal.
WordNet

Watch fire

  • noun a fire lighted at night as a signal
WordNet
  • a fire lighted at night, as a signal, or for the use of a watch or guard.
Webster 1913

Watch glass

  • noun laboratory glassware; a shallow glass dish used as an evaporating surface or to cover a beaker
  • noun a protective cover that protects the face of a watch
    crystal; watch crystal.
WordNet
  • . (a) A concavo-convex glass for covering the face, or dial, of a watch; also called watch crystal. (b) (Naut.) A half-hour glass used to measure the time of a watch on deck. (c) (Chem.) A round concavo-convex glass of shallow depth used for certain manipulations of chemicals in a laboratory.
Webster 1913

Watch guard

  • noun short chain or ribbon attaching a pocket watch to a man's vest
    watch chain; fob.
WordNet
  • a chain or cord by which a watch is attached to the person.
Webster 1913

Watch gun

  • (Naut.), a gun sometimes fired on shipboard at 8 p. m., when the night watch begins.
Webster 1913

watch key

  • noun winder consisting of a key with a square hole; used for winding some watches
WordNet

Watch light

  • a low-burning lamp used by watchers at night; formerly, a candle having a rush wick.
Webster 1913

Watch night

  • noun a devotional service (especially on New Year's Eve)
WordNet
  • The last night of the year; so called by the Methodists, Moravians, and others, who observe it by holding religious meetings lasting until after midnight.
Webster 1913

watch out

  • verb be vigilant, be on the lookout or be careful
    look out; watch.
    • Watch out for pickpockets!
WordNet

watch over

  • verb follow with the eyes or the mind
    follow; observe; watch; keep an eye on.
    • Keep an eye on the baby, please!
    • The world is watching Sarajevo
    • She followed the men with the binoculars
WordNet

Watch paper

  • an old-fashioned ornament for the inside of a watch case, made of paper cut in some fanciful design, as a vase with flowers, etc.
Webster 1913

watch pocket

  • noun a vest pocket to hold a pocket watch
    fob.
WordNet

Watch tackle

  • (Naut.), a small, handy purchase, consisting of a tailed double block, and a single block with a hook.
Webster 1913

wrist watch

  • noun a watch that is worn strapped to the wrist
    wristwatch.
WordNet