WARD

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Ward mean? 

• WARD (noun)
  The noun WARD has 7 senses:

1. a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another

2. a district into which a city or town is divided for the purpose of administration and elections

3. block forming a division of a hospital (or a suite of rooms) shared by patients who need a similar kind of care

4. English economist and conservationist (1914-1981)

5. English writer of novels who was an active opponent of the women's suffrage movement (1851-1920)

6. United States businessman who in 1872 established a successful mail-order business (1843-1913)

7. a division of a prison (usually consisting of several cells)

  Familiarity information: WARD used as a noun is common.

• WARD (verb)
  The verb WARD has 1 sense:

1. watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect

  Familiarity information: WARD used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WARD (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A person who is under the protection or in the custody of another

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("ward" is a kind of...):

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

Derivation:

ward (watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A district into which a city or town is divided for the purpose of administration and elections

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("ward" is a kind of...):

administrative district; administrative division; territorial division (a district defined for administrative purposes)

Holonyms ("ward" is a part of...):

municipality (an urban district having corporate status and powers of self-government)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Block forming a division of a hospital (or a suite of rooms) shared by patients who need a similar kind of care

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

hospital ward; ward

Context example:

they put her in a 4-bed ward

Hypernyms ("ward" is a kind of...):

block (housing in a large building that is divided into separate units)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ward"):

detox (the hospital ward or clinic in which patients are detoxified)

maternity ward (a hospital ward that provides care for women during pregnancy and childbirth and for newborn infants)

Holonyms ("ward" is a part of...):

hospital; infirmary (a health facility where patients receive treatment)

Sense 4

Meaning:

English economist and conservationist (1914-1981)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Barbara Ward; Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth; Ward

Instance hypernyms:

economic expert; economist (an expert in the science of economics)

conservationist; environmentalist (someone who works to protect the environment from destruction or pollution)

Sense 5

Meaning:

English writer of novels who was an active opponent of the women's suffrage movement (1851-1920)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Mary Augusta Arnold Ward; Mrs. Humphrey Ward; Ward

Instance hypernyms:

author; writer (writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay))

Sense 6

Meaning:

United States businessman who in 1872 established a successful mail-order business (1843-1913)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Aaron Montgomery Ward; Montgomery Ward; Ward

Instance hypernyms:

businessman; man of affairs (a person engaged in commercial or industrial business (especially an owner or executive))

Sense 7

Meaning:

A division of a prison (usually consisting of several cells)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

cellblock; ward

Hypernyms ("ward" is a kind of...):

block (housing in a large building that is divided into separate units)

Meronyms (parts of "ward"):

cell; jail cell; prison cell (a room where a prisoner is kept)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ward"):

death house; death row (the cellblock in a prison where those condemned to death await execution)

Holonyms ("ward" is a part of...):

prison; prison house (a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment)

• WARD (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they ward    ... he / she / it wards   
Past simple: warded   
Past participle: warded   
-ing form: warding   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

guard; ward

Context example:

guard my possessions while I'm away

Hypernyms (to "ward" is one way to...):

protect (shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "ward"):

shepherd (watch over like a shepherd, as a teacher of her pupils)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

ward (a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another)

warder (a person who works in a prison and is in charge of prisoners)

 Context examples 

Miss Adele, a ward he had, was put to school.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

The idea that sunlight degrades plastics is nothing new, Ward says.

(Sunlight degrades polystyrene faster than expected, National Science Foundation)

There must be a full ward waiting for you.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The house was silent when we got back, save for some poor creature who was screaming away in one of the distant wards, and a low, moaning sound from Renfield's room.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The patterns help the butterflies ward off predators.

(Study reveals surprising amount of gene flow among butterfly species, National Science Foundation)

A scheme of which every part promises delight can never be successful; and general disappointment is only warded off by the defence of some little peculiar vexation.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

If it came off when Garcia returned, any possible suspicion would be warded off by the Englishman’s evidence, and all would be well.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Amy was ordered off at once, and provided with something to ward off danger, she departed in great state, with Jo and Laurie as escort.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Even without the lens you will perceive, by the scratches on this ward, where the pressure was applied.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Her father had no ward, and the squire of the parish no children.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)