More people today carry a watch on their wrists than in their pockets; some people today don't use a watch at all, because their smartphone serves the purpose well enough.
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He set the alarm on his watch to 8:00 am.
Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.[…]A silver snaffle on a heavy leather watch guard which connected the pockets of his corduroy waistcoat, together with a huge gold stirrup in his Ascot tie, sufficiently proclaimed his tastes.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
2
The act of guarding and observing someone or something.
shepherds keeping watch by night1667, John Milton, “Book XII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
All the long night their mournful watch they keep.1717, Joseph Addison, Metamorphoses:
3
A particular time period when guarding is kept.
The second watch of the night began at midnight.
I did stand my watch upon the hill.c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v]:
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Might we but hear […] Or whistle from the lodge, or village cock Count the night watches to his feathery dames.1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC:
In the evening a tremendous thunder storm, accompanied by wind and rain. It is my watch and I find it a terrible time to act as sentry.1861, E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley, page 30:
4
A period of wakefulness between the two sleeps of a biphasic sleep pattern (the dead sleep or first sleep and morning sleep or second sleep): the first waking.
5
A person or group of people who guard.
The watch stopped the travelers at the city gates.
Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch; go your way, make it as sure as ye can.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 27:65:
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The post or office of a watchman; also, the place where a watchman is posted, or where a guard is kept.
He upbraids Iago, that he made him Brave me upon the watch.c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
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Nautical, Transport A group of sailors and officers aboard a ship or shore station with a common period of duty: starboard watch, port watch.
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Nautical, Transport A period of time on duty, usually four hours in length; the officers and crew who tend the working of a vessel during the same watch. (FM 55–501).
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The act of seeing, or viewing, for a period of time.
A quick watch of Stanley Kubrick's Clockwork Orange sends this reality home fast. Amoral, vacuous, cold-blooded, unsympathetic, and chillingly evil describe only parts of the story.2004, Charles P. Nemeth, Criminal law:
The first third of the film is laugh after laugh; […] But half an hour in and this movie gets unnervingly dark and is an uncomfortable watch at times.2016 August 11, Andrew Bullock, “David Brent REVIEW: Life on the Road goes from painfully funny to just plain painful. Ouch”, in Sunday Express:
Etymology From Middle English wacchen, from Old English wæċċan, from Proto-West Germanic *wakkjan, from Proto-Germanic *wakjaną. Cognate with Dutch wekken, German wecken, Danish vække, Norwegian Bokmål vekke, Norwegian Nynorsk vekkja, Swedish väcka, Faroese and Icelandic vekja.
Ambitransitive To look at, see, or view for a period of time.
Watching the clock will not make time go faster.
I'm tired of watching TV.
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It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
2
To observe over a period of time; to notice or pay attention.
Watch this!
Put a little baking soda in some vinegar and watch what happens.
3
To mind, attend, or guard.
Please watch my suitcase for a minute.
He has to watch the kids that afternoon.
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[…] (it was the town's humour to be always gassing of phantom investors who were likely to come any moment and pay a thousand prices for everything) — “[…] Them rich fellers, they don't make no bad breaks with their money. They watch it all th' time b'cause they know blame well there ain't hardly room fer their feet fer th' pikers an' tin-horns an' thimble-riggers what are layin' fer 'em. […]”1899, Stephen Crane, chapter 1, in Twelve O'Clock:
4
To be wary or cautious of.
You should watch that guy. He has a reputation for lying.
5
To attend to dangers to or regarding.
watch your head; watch your step
Watch yourself when you talk to him.
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Watch what you say.
6
To remain awake with a sick or dying person; to maintain a vigil.
At the funeralls in Yorkeshire, to this day, they continue the custome of watching & sitting-up all night till the body is interred.1687, John Aubrey, Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme, page 30:
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To be vigilant or on one's guard.
For some must watch, while some must sleep: So runs the world away.
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To act as a lookout.
"[…] Scarcely a night passes without the light showing, and there's no doubt that the water runs. We've put copying ink on the door handles and the taps and got into it ourselves until there isn't a man about the place that you couldn't implicate." "Has anyone watched up there?"1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
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Nautical, TransportOf a buoy To serve the purpose of a watchman by floating properly in its place.
So on the morne Sir Trystram, Sir Gareth and Sir Dynadan arose early and went unto Sir Palomydes chambir, and there they founde hym faste aslepe, for he had all nyght wacched […]1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X:
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Obsolete To be on the lookout for; to wait for expectantly.
[S]he had reason to dread that her husband had formed a very criminal project of being revenged on Zeluco, and watched an opportunity of putting it in execution.1789, John Moore, Zeluco, Valancourt, published 2008, page 80: