Ward

n.	1.	The act of guarding; watch; guard; guardianship; specifically, a guarding during the day. See the Note under Watch, n., 1. Still, when she slept, he kept both watch and ward. - Spenser.
	2.	One who, or that which, guards; garrison; defender; protector; means of guarding; defense; protection. For the best ward of mine honor. - Shak. The assieged castle's ward Their steadfast stands did mightily maintain. - Spenser. For want of other ward, He lifted up his hand, his front to guard. - Dryden.
	3.	The state of being under guard or guardianship; confinement under guard; the condition of a child under a guardian; custody. And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard. - Gen. xl. 3. I must attend his majesty's command, to whom I am now in ward. - Shak. It is also inconvenient, in Ireland, that the wards and marriages of gentlemen's children should be in the disposal of any of those lords. - Spenser.
	4.	A guarding or defensive motion or position, as in fencing; guard.
	5.	One who, or that which, is guarded.
	6.	A minor or person under the care of a guardian; as, a ward in chancery.
	6.	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. 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. 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.
	7.	A division of a county.
	8.	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.
	9.	A division of a forest.
	10.	A division of a hospital; as, a fever ward.
v. t.	1.	[imp. & p. p. Warded; p. pr. & vb. n. Warding.]
	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.
	2.	To defend; to protect. Tell him it was a hand that warded him From thousand dangers. - Shak.
	3.	To defend by walls, fortifications, etc.
	4.	To fend off; to repel; to turn aside, as anything mischievous that approaches; - usually followed by off. Now wards a felling blow, now strikes again. - Daniel. The pointed javelin warded off his rage. - Addison. It instructs the scholar in the various methods of warding off the force of objections. - I. Watts.
v. i.	1.	To be vigilant; to keep guard.
	2.	To act on the defensive with a weapon. She redoubling her blows drove the stranger to no other shift than to ward and go back. - Sir P. Sidney.

Noun	1.	ward - a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another
	2.	ward - a district into which a city or town is divided for the purpose of administration and elections
	3.	ward - block forming a division of a hospital (or a suite of rooms) shared by patients who need a similar kind of care; "they put her in a 4-bed ward" Synonyms: hospital ward
	4.	Ward - English economist and conservationist (1914-1981) Synonyms: Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth
	5.	Ward - English writer of novels who was an active opponent of the women's suffrage movement (1851-1920) Synonyms: Mary Augusta Arnold Ward, Mrs. Humphrey Ward
	6.	Ward - United States businessman who in 1872 established a successful mail-order business (1843-1913) Synonyms: Asron Montgomery Ward, Montgomery Ward
	7.	ward - a division of a prison (usually consisting of several cells) Synonyms: cellblock
Verb	1.	ward - watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect; "guard my possessions while I'm away" Synonyms: guard

WARD, domestic relations. An infant placed by authority of law under the care of a guardian.
     2. While under the care of a guardian a ward can make no contract whatever binding upon him, except for necessaries. When the relation of guardian and ward ceases, the latter is entitled to have an account of the administration of his estate from the former. During the existence of this relation, the ward is under the subjection of his guardian, who stands in loco parentis.

WARD, a district. Most cities are divided for various purposes into districts, each of which is called a ward.

WARD, police. To watch in the day time, for the purpose of preventing violations of the law.
     2. It is the duty of all police officers and constables to keep ward in their respective districts.

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