noun
definition
One set to watch; a person who keeps guard, especially one who guards a building, or the streets of a city, by night.
Examples of watchmen in a Sentence
The watchmen appointed by parishes were useless, inadequate, inefficient and untrustworthy, acting often as accessories in aiding and abetting crime.
They are Nature's watchmen--links which connect the days of animated life.
Each city would appoint watchmen who would work in shifts, so that the people were continually under guard.
Up until this time, the towns had merely employed a few watchmen to patrol the streets and call out the time and weather.
The watch committee resolved that all the men should become watchmen under the control of an inspector with the day policing divided among them.
These include the watchmen, the shepherds and several other households.
Two watchmen continually patrolled the village at night to guard against crime or the risk of fire among the closely packed wooden buildings.
Faulkes, Zen (1993) Who watches the watchmen?
But Israel 's leaders, the Lord says, are like blind watchmen.
By 1585 their numbers had risen to four and their duties had been established as musical night watchmen and civic entertainers.
Let us be faithful watchmen, that their blood be not upon our heads.
Although referred to as constables, these four men were in fact on a par with the old town watchmen.
Judith called out from afar to the watchmen at the gates, Open, open the gate !
The latter, about the time of Elizabeth's succession, expressed his hope that the bishops would become pastors, labourers and watchmen; and that the great riches of bishoprics would be diminished and reduced to mediocrity; that, being delivered from courtly and regal pomp, the bishops might take care of the flock of Christ.
In addition, the village watchmen or chaukidars, a primitive institution paid from local sources but to some extent incorporated in the general system, aggregated about 700,000; while a special force of military police, numbering about 20,000 under officers seconded from the army, is maintained along the frontier, more especially in Burma.
The irrigated area is divided into districts, in each of which is an overseer and a staff of watchmen to see to the opening and shutting of the modules (see Hydraulics, §§ 54 to 56) which deliver the water into the minor channels.
The watchmen know that morning is coming; but they ca n't be impatient and shirk off before the relief comes along.
He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
The early records for the City of Canterbury show that in 1787 there were 9 watchmen, including two supernumeraries.