verb
watches; watched; watching
to look at (someone or something) for an amount of time and pay attention to what is happening [+ obj]
to give your attention to (a situation, an event, etc.) [+ obj]
[+ obj] :to care for (someone or something) for a period of time in order to make sure that nothing bad or unwanted happens
[+ obj] to try to control (something)
to be careful about (something) - usually used in commands
not used in progressive tenses [+ obj] :to make sure that something bad or unwanted does not happen
a watched pot never boils
watch for
[phrasal verb]
watch for (someone or something) :to look for (someone or something that you expect to see)
watch for (something) :to look for (something that you want to get or use)
watch it
informal - used to tell someone to be careful
watch out
[phrasal verb]
to be aware of something dangerous
watch over
[phrasal verb]
watch over (someone or something) :to take care of (someone or something)
watch (someone or something) like a hawk
watch someone's back
watch your back
watch your p's and q's
watch your step
you watch
informal - used to tell someone that you think something will probably happen
noun
plural watches
[count] :a device that shows what time it is and that you wear on your wrist or carry in a pocket
the act of giving your attention to someone or something especially in order to make sure that nothing bad or unwanted happens [singular]
usually + on or over
[singular] :the act of looking for someone or something that you expect to see :the act of regularly checking to see if someone has arrived or if something has appeared or happened
a period of time when a person or group is responsible for guarding or protecting someone or something [count]
usually singular
[count] :a group of people who guard or protect someone or something for a period of time - usually singular
[count] :the period of time during which someone is in charge of something - usually singular
[count] US :a quick announcement from an official source which tells people that severe weather conditions could occur very soon - usually singular