(a) A minor or person under the care of a guardian; as, a ward in
chancery. "You know our father's ward, the fair Monimia." Otway.
(b) A division of a county. [Eng. & Scot.]
(c) A division, district, or quarter of a town or city.
Throughout the trembling city placed a guard, Dealing an equal share to
every ward.
Dryden.
(d) A division of a forest. [Eng.]
(e) A division of a hospital; as, a fever ward.
6. (a) A projecting ridge of metal in the interior of a lock, to
prevent the use of any key which has not a corresponding notch for
passing it. (b) A notch or slit in a key corresponding to a ridge in
the lock which it fits; a ward notch. Knight.
The lock is made . . . more secure by attaching wards to the front, as
well as to the back, plate of the lock, in which case the key must be
furnished with corresponding notches.
Tomlinson.
<! p. 1627 !>
Ward penny (O. Eng. Law), money paid to the sheriff or castellan for
watching and warding a castle. — Ward staff, a constable's or
watchman's staff. [Obs.]
Ward (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Warded; p. pr. & vb. n. Warding.] [OE.
wardien, AS. weardian to keep, protect; akin to OS. ward&?;n to watch,
take care, OFries. wardia, OHG. wart&?;n, G. warten to wait, wait on,
attend to, Icel. var&?;a to guarantee defend, Sw. vårda to guard, to
watch; cf. OF. warder, of German origin. See Ward, n., and cf. Award,
Guard, Reward.]
1. To keep in safety; to watch; to guard; formerly, in a specific
sense, to guard during the day time.
Whose gates he found fast shut, no living wight To ward the same.
Spenser.