Library / English Dictionary

WATCHER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)

Example:

sky watchers discovered a new star

Synonyms:

looker; spectator; viewer; watcher; witness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

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

beholder; observer; perceiver; percipient (a person who becomes aware (of things or events) through the senses)

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

peeper; Peeping Tom; voyeur (a viewer who enjoys seeing the sex acts or sex organs of others)

starer (a viewer who gazes fixedly (often with hostility))

spy (a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people)

rubberneck; rubbernecker (a person who stares inquisitively)

playgoer; theatergoer; theatregoer (someone who attends the theater)

looker-on; onlooker (someone who looks on)

ogler (a viewer who gives a flirtatious or lewd look at another person)

motion-picture fan; moviegoer (someone who goes to see movies)

gawker (a spectator who stares stupidly without intelligent awareness)

eyewitness (a spectator who can describe what happened)

cheerer (a spectator who shouts encouragement)

bystander (a nonparticipant spectator)

browser (a viewer who looks around casually without seeking anything in particular)

Derivation:

watch (observe with attention)

watch (look attentively)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A person who keeps a devotional vigil by a sick bed or by a dead body

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

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

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

Sense 3

Meaning:

A guard who keeps watch

Synonyms:

security guard; watcher; watchman

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

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

guard (a person who keeps watch over something or someone)

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

bank guard (a security guard at a bank)

fire watcher ((during World War II in Britain) someone whose duty was to watch for fires caused by bombs dropped from the air)

lookout; lookout man; picket; scout; sentinel; sentry; spotter; watch (a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event)

night watchman (a watchman who works during the night)

patroller (someone on patrol duty; an individual or a member of a group that patrols an area)

port watcher; portwatcher (a watchman on a wharf)

Holonyms ("watcher" is a member of...):

private security force; security force (a privately employed group hired to protect the security of a business or industry)

Derivation:

watch (be vigilant, be on the lookout or be careful)

Credits