guard

guard1 [ gard ] noun ***

▸ 1 someone who protects someone/something

▸ 2 unit of soldiers/police

▸ 3 cover for protection

▸ 4 in basketball/football

▸ 5 on train

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) count someone whose job is to protect a place or person so that no one causes damage, steals anything, or escapes:

uniformed border guards

a prison guard

post a guard: The captain posted two guards at the gate.

armed guard: There was an armed guard on duty outside his door.

a ) singular a group of guards who are working together:

change/relieve the guard: The guard was due to be relieved at six o'clock.

b ) Guard IRISH INFORMAL an officer in the Irish police force

2. ) singular a unit of soldiers or police officers, especially one that has a particular job:

members of the Presidential guard

troops belonging to the National Guard

a ) Guards used in the names of some units in an army, especially the British army:

a captain in the Scots Guards

3. ) count something that covers a dangerous part of a machine

a ) something that you wear to protect a part of your body, for example when playing a sport:

a mouth guard

b ) the way that BOXERS stand with their hands in front of their face, to protect themselves from an opponent:

put up your guard(s): They put their guards up and began circling each other.

4. ) count in basketball, a player who tries to stop the other team from scoring

a ) in football, a player who plays next to the CENTER

5. ) count BRITISH a train CONDUCTOR

be/stay on guard or do guard duty

to be officially put somewhere to guard someone or something

drop/lower/let down your guard

1. ) to relax and trust people, even though this means that you might let yourself be upset or do the wrong thing. If someone does not do this, you can say that their guard is up:

She was not ready to let down her guard and confide in him.

2. ) to stop being careful, for example in a game or when you are being attacked:

We cannot afford to drop our guard.

off (your) guard

not thinking about something, so that you might say or do something you did not intend to:

catch/take someone off (their) guard (=surprise someone): Why on earth did you tell him that? He caught me off guard!

on (your) guard

thinking or behaving carefully, so that you do not say or do something you did not intend to:

There are cameras everywhere, so be on your guard!

stand/keep guard or mount a guard

to watch a person or place carefully in order to protect them from attack, or to prevent someone from escaping:

Small groups of men kept guard in the fields.

on (your) guard over: Armed soldiers stood guard over him.

under guard

protected or prevented from escaping by a guard:

He was taken to prison under police guard.

under heavy guard (=with a lot of guards): The ambassador arrived under heavy guard.

guard

guard 2 [ gard ] verb transitive **

▸ 1 watch place carefully

▸ 2 protect someone/something from harm

▸ 3 not tell information

▸ 4 try hard to keep something

▸ 5 in sports

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) to watch a place carefully to protect someone from attack, to prevent something from being stolen, or to prevent someone from escaping:

There were two soldiers guarding the main gate.

The palace entrance is guarded around the clock.

heavily guarded: the heavily guarded office of the President

2. ) to protect someone or something from something dangerous or unpleasant:

The male fish guards the eggs.

guard something/someone from something: the trees that guarded the farm from the wind

3. ) if you guard information, you do not tell it to anyone:

They have been guarding the details of their research.

closely/jealously guard something: The recipe is a closely guarded secret.

4. ) to try very hard to keep something that is important to you:

The company is fiercely guarding its technology.

5. ) in a sport such as basketball or football, to try to prevent your opponent from scoring or from playing effectively

guard your tongue/temper

to speak or behave carefully, without using bad language or violence

`guard a,gainst phrasal verb transitive guard against something

1. ) to help to prevent something from happening:

Fiber in the diet is thought to guard against heart disease.

2. ) to try to prevent something from happening:

We need to guard against the possibility of people losing interest.