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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.…

To give notice to, of approaching or probable danger or evil; to caution against anything that may prove injurious. "Juturna warns the Daunian chief of Lausus' danger, urging swift relief." Dryden.

y of Walter Calenius, that this lady [Rowena], the daughter of Hengist, knelt down on the approach of the king, and, presenting him with a cup of wine, exclaimed, Lord king wæs heil, that is, literally, Health be to you. N. Drake.

A dog kept to watch and guard premises or property, and to give notice of the approach of intruders.

A tower in which a sentinel is placed to watch for enemies, the approach of danger, or the like.

aut.), a sudden gust of wind, or furious blow, which comes up without being marked in its approach otherwise than by whitecaps, or white, broken water, on the surface of the sea. -- White staff, the badge of the lord high treasurer of England. Macaulay. -- White stork (Zoöl.), the common European stork. -- White stu…

Somewhat white; approaching white; white in a moderate degree.

inhabiting natural haunts, as the forest or open field; not familiar with, or not easily approached by, man; not tamed or domesticated; as, a wild boar; a wild ox; a wild cat. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild geese fly that way. Shak.

In general, any signal announcing information concerning winds, and esp. the expected approach of winds whose direction and force are dangerous to shipping, etc. The wind-signal system of the United States Weather Bureau consists of storm, information, hurricane, hot wind, and inland storm signals.

cies of hair which grows on sheep and some other animals, and which in fineness sometimes approaches to fur; -- chiefly applied to the fleecy coat of the sheep, which constitutes a most essential material of clothing in all cold and temperate climates.

e quality or state of being zigzag; crookedness. [R.] The . . . zigzaggery of my father's approaches. Sterne.