Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - watch

I. [c red]LOOKING AND PAYING ATTENTION (watches, watching, watched) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Please look at category 15 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword. 1. If you watch someone or something, you look at them, usually for a period of time, and pay attention to what is happening. The man was standing in his doorway watching him... He watched the barman prepare the beer he had ordered... Chris watched him sipping his brandy... I watched as Amy ate a few nuts. VERB: V n, V n inf, V n -ing, V 2. If you watch something on television or an event such as a sports match, you spend time looking at it, especially when you see it from the beginning to the end. I’d stayed up late to watch the film... They spent a great deal of time watching television. VERB: V n, V n 3. If you watch a situation or event, you pay attention to it or you are aware of it, but you do not influence it. Human rights groups have been closely watching the case... Annoyed commuters could only watch as the departure time ticked by. VERB: V n, V 4. If you watch people, especially children or animals, you are responsible for them, and make sure that they are not in danger. Parents can’t be expected to watch their children 24 hours a day. VERB: V n 5. If you watch someone, you follow them secretly or spy on them. Ella was scared that someone was watching her... VERB: V n 6. If you tell someone to watch a particular person or thing, you are warning them to be careful that the person or thing does not get out of control or do something unpleasant. You really ought to watch these quiet types... If you’re watching the calories, don’t have mayonnaise. VERB: V n, V n 7. A watch is a period of carefully looking and listening, often while other people are asleep and often as a military duty, so that you can warn them of danger or an attack. I had the first watch that May evening. N-COUNT 8. If someone keeps watch, they look and listen all the time, while other people are asleep or doing something else, so that they can warn them of danger or an attack. Jose, as usual, had climbed a tree to keep watch. PHRASE: V inflects 9. If you keep watch on events or a situation, you pay attention to what is happening, so that you can take action at the right moment. US officials have been keeping close watch on the situation. PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR on n 10. You say ‘watch it’ in order to warn someone to be careful, especially when you want to threaten them about what will happen if they are not careful. ‘Now watch it, Patsy,’ the Sergeant told her. PHRASE 11. If someone is on watch, they have the job of carefully looking and listening, often while other people are asleep and often as a military duty, so that they can warn them of danger or an attack. Apart from two men on watch in the engine-room, everyone was asleep. PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v 12. If you are on the watch for something, you are expecting it to happen and you therefore pay attention to events so that you will notice it when it does happen. Environmentalists will be on the watch for damage to wildlife. = on the lookout PHRASE: v-link PHR, oft PHR for n 13. If someone is being kept under watch, they are being guarded or observed all the time. PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR 14. You say to someone ‘you watch’ or ‘just watch’ when you are predicting that something will happen, and you are very confident that it will happen as you say. You watch. Things will get worse before they get better. PHRASE 15. to watch your step: see step II. [c red]INSTRUMENT THAT TELLS THE TIME (watches) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. A watch is a small clock which you wear on a strap on your wrist, or on a chain. N-COUNT