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To sustain; to support; to guard. Nash.

A subordinate keeper or guardian. Gray.

Unaware; not foreseeing; being off one's guard. [Obs.] Chaucer. Fairfax.

Not vigilant against danger; not wary or cautious; unguarded; precipitate; heedless; careless.

n the 9th century; also, one of the Northmen composing, at a later date, the imperial bodyguard at Constantinople.

Guard; watch. [Obs.] "In at this gate none pass the vigilance here placed." Milton. Vigilance committee, a volunteer committee of citizens for the oversight and protection of any interest, esp. one organized for the summary suppression and punishment of crime, as when the processes of law appear inadequate.…

spread; as, an eagle volant. Volant piece (Anc. Armor), an adjustable piece of armor, for guarding the throat, etc., in a joust.

[Written also Wallons.] "A base Walloon . . . thrust Talbot with a spear." Shak. Walloon guard, the bodyguard of the Spanish monarch; -- so called because formerly consisting of Walloons.

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.

Guardian; one set to watch over another. [Obs.] "Though thou preyedest Argus . . . to be my wardcorps." Chaucer.

A keeper; a guardian; a watchman. He called to the warden on the . . . battlements. Sir. W. Scott.

One who wards or keeps; a keeper; a guard. "The warders of the gate." Dryden.

The office of a ward or keeper; care and protection of a ward; guardianship; right of guardianship. Wardship is incident to tenure in socage. Blackstone.

A man who keeps ward; a guard. [R.] Sydney Smith.

A ware; taking notice; hence, wary; cautious; on one's guard. See Beware. [Obs.] She was ware and knew it bet [better] than he. Chaucer. Of whom be thou ware also. 2. Tim. iv. 15. He is ware enough; he is wily and circumspect for stirring up any sedition. Latimer. The only good that grows of passed fear Is to be wise,…

The quality or state of being wary; care to foresee and guard against evil; cautiousness. "An almost reptile wariness." G. W. Cable. To determine what are little things in religion, great wariness is to be used. Sprat.

Cautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding against deception, artifices, and dangers; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous; careful. "Bear a wary eye." Shak. We should be wary, therefore, what persecution we raise against the living labors of public men. Milton.

of sleep; vigil; wakeful, vigilant, or constantly observant attention; close observation; guard; preservative or preventive vigilance; formerly, a watching or guarding by night. Shepherds keeping watch by night. Milton. All the long night their mournful watch they keep. Addison.

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

l to observe closely; observant; cautious; -- with of before the thing to be regulated or guarded; as, to be watchful of one's behavior; and with against before the thing to be avoided; as, to be watchful against the growth of vicious habits. "Many a watchful night." Shak. "Happy watchful shepherds." Milton. 'Twixt pra…