Synonyms for on the watch
| Grammar : Adj, adv |
| Spell : woch |
| Phonetic Transcription : wɒtʃ |
Top 10 synonyms for on the watch Other synonyms for the word on the watch
- circumspect
- defensive
- glued
- guarded
- heedful
- hooked
- keen
- mindful
- not missing a trick
- on guard
- on one's guard
- on one's toes
- on the ball
- on the job
- on the lookout
- on the qui vive
- on the watch
- open-eyed
- prepared
- ready
- see after
- see to
- unsleeping
- upon one's guard
- wakeful
- watchful
- wide-awake
- with eyes peeled
Définition of on the watch
Origin :- Old English wæcce "a watching," from wæccan (see watch (v.)). Sense of "sentinel" is recorded from c.1300; that of "person or group officially patroling a town (especially at night) to keep order, etc." is first recorded 1530s. Meaning "period of time in which a division of a ship's crew remains on deck" is from 1580s. Sense of "period into which a night was divided in ancient times" translates Latin vigilia, Greek phylake, Hebrew ashmoreth.
- The Hebrews divided the night into three watches, the Greeks usually into four (sometimes five), the Romans (followed by the Jews in New Testament times) into four. [OED]
- The meaning "small timepiece" is from 1580s, developing from that of "a clock to wake up sleepers" (mid-15c.).
- As in watchful : adj on the lookout
- As in : adj wary
- As in on guard : adv feeling wary
Antonyms for on the watch
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019