Shak.
Might we but hear . . . Or whistle from the lodge, or village cock
Count the night watches to his feathery dames.
Milton.
5. A small timepiece, or chronometer, to be carried about the person,
the machinery of which is moved by a spring.
Watches are often distinguished by the kind of escapement used, as an
anchor watch, a lever watch, a chronometer watch, etc. (see the Note
under Escapement, n., 3); also, by the kind of case, as a gold or
silver watch, an open-faced watch, a hunting watch, or hunter, etc.
6. (Naut.) (a) An allotted portion of time, usually four hour for
standing watch, or being on deck ready for duty. Cf. Dogwatch. (b) That
part, usually one half, of the officers and crew, who together attend
to the working of a vessel for an allotted time, usually four hours.
The watches are designated as the port watch, and the starboard watch.
Anchor watch (Naut.), a detail of one or more men who keep watch on
deck when a vessel is at anchor. — To be on the watch, to be looking
steadily for some event. — 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. — 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. — Watch barrel, the brass box in a watch,
containing the mainspring. — Watch bell (Naut.), a bell struck when the
half-hour glass is run out, or at the end of each half hour. Craig. —
Watch bill (Naut.), a list of the officers and crew of a ship as
divided into watches, with their stations. Totten. — Watch case, the
case, or outside covering, of a watch; also, a case for holding a
watch, or in which it is kept. — Watch chain. Same as watch guard,
below. — Watch clock, a watchman's clock; see under Watchman. — Watch
fire, a fire lighted at night, as a signal, or for the use of a watch
or guard. — Watch glass. (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. — Watch
guard, a chain or cord by which a watch is attached to the person. —
Watch gun (Naut.), a gun sometimes fired on shipboard at 8 p. m., when
the night watch begins. — Watch light, a low-burning lamp used by
watchers at night; formerly, a candle having a rush wick. — Watch
night, 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. — 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. — Watch tackle (Naut.), a small,
handy purchase, consisting of a tailed double block, and a single block
with a hook.
Watch (?), v. i. [Cf. AS. wœccan, wacian. √134. See Watch, n., Wake, v.
i. ]
1. To be awake; to be or continue without sleep; to wake; to keep
vigil.