Watch
A watch is a timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep working despite the motions caused by the person’s activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached by a watch strap or other type of bracelet. A pocket watch is designed for a person to carry in a pocket.
Watches progressed in the 17th century from spring-powered clocks, which appeared as early as the 14th century. During most of its history the watch was a mechanical device, driven by clockwork, powered by winding a mainspring, and keeping time with an oscillating balance wheel. In the 1960s the electronic quartz watch was invented, which was powered by a battery and kept time with a vibrating quartz crystal. By the 1980s the quartz watch had taken over most of the market from the mechanical watch.
Today most watches that are inexpensive and medium-priced, used mainly for timekeeping, have quartz movements. Expensive collectible watches, valued more for their elaborate craftsmanship, aesthetic appeal and glamorous design than for simple timekeeping, often have traditional mechanical movements, even though they are less accurate and more expensive than electronic ones. Various extra features, called “complications”, such as moon-phase displays and the different types of tourbillon, are sometimes included. Modern watches often display the day, date, month and year, and electronic watches may have many other functions. Time-related features such as timers, chronographs and alarm functions are common. Some modern designs incorporate calculators, GPS and Bluetooth technology or have heart-rate monitoring capabilities. Some watches use radio clock technology to regularly correct the time.
Developments in the 2010s include smartwatches, which are elaborate computer-like electronic devices designed to be worn on a wrist. They generally incorporate timekeeping functions, but these are only a small subset of the smartwatch’s facilities.
The study of timekeeping is known as horology.
See (verb)
To perceive or detect with the eyes, or as if by sight.
See (verb)
To form a mental picture of.
See (verb)
To witness or observe by personal experience.
“Now I’ve seen it all!”
“I have been blind since birth and I love to read Braille. When the books arrive in from the library, I can’t wait to see what stories they have sent me.”
“I saw military service in Vietnam.”
See (verb)
To understand.
“Do you see what I mean?”
See (verb)
To meet, to visit.
See (verb)
To come to a realization of having been mistaken or misled.
“They’re blind to the damage they do, but someday they’ll see.”
See (verb)
To have an interview with; especially, to make a call upon; to visit.
“to go to see a friend”
See (verb)
To be the setting or time of.
“The 20th century saw humanity’s first space exploration.”
See (verb)
To ensure that something happens, especially while witnessing it.
“I’ll see you hang for this!”
“I saw that they didn’t make any more trouble.”
See (verb)
To respond to another player’s bet with a bet of equal value.
“I’ll see your twenty dollars and raise you ten.”
See (verb)
To foresee, predict, or prophesy.
“The oracle saw the destruction of the city.”
See (verb)
To determine by trial or experiment; to find out (if or whether).
“I’ll come over later and see if I can fix your computer.”
See (verb)
Used to emphasise a proposition.
“You see, Johnny, your Dad isn’t your real dad.”
See (verb)
To reference or to study for further details.
“Step 4: In the system, check out the laptop to the student (see: “Logging Resources” in the Tutor Manual).”
“This article is about the insect. For the English rock band, see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles The Beatles].”
“For a complete proof of the Poincaré conjecture, see Appendix C.”
See (interjection)
Directing the audience to pay attention to the following
“See here, fellas, there’s no need for all this rucus!”
See (interjection)
Introducing an explanation
“See, in order to win the full prize we would have to come up with a scheme to land a rover on the Moon.”
See (noun)
A diocese, archdiocese; a region of a church, generally headed by a bishop, especially an archbishop.
See (noun)
The office of a bishop or archbishop; bishopric or archbishopric
See (noun)
A seat; a site; a place where sovereign power is exercised.
Watch (noun)
A portable or wearable timepiece.
“More people today carry a watch on their wrists than in their pockets.”
Watch (noun)
The act of guarding and observing someone or something.
Watch (noun)
A particular time period when guarding is kept.
“The second watch of the night began at midnight.”
Watch (noun)
A person or group of people who guard.
“The watch stopped the travelers at the city gates.”
Watch (noun)
The post or office of a watchman; also, the place where a watchman is posted, or where a guard is kept.
Watch (noun)
A group of sailors and officers aboard a ship or shore station with a common period of duty: starboard watch, port watch.
Watch (noun)
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).
Watch (noun)
The act of seeing, or viewing, for a period of time.
Watch (verb)
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.”
Watch (verb)
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.”
Watch (verb)
To mind, attend, or guard.
“Please watch my suitcase for a minute.”
“He has to watch the kids that afternoon.”
Watch (verb)
To be wary or cautious of.
“You should watch that guy. He has a reputation for lying.”
Watch (verb)
To attend to dangers to or regarding.
“watch your head;”
“watch your step”
“Watch yourself when you talk to him.”
“Watch what you say.”
Watch (verb)
To remain awake with a sick or dying person; to maintain a vigil.
Watch (verb)
To be vigilant or on one’s guard.
“For some must watch, while some must sleep: So runs the world away.”
Watch (verb)
To act as a lookout.
Watch (verb)
To serve the purpose of a watchman by floating properly in its place.
Watch (verb)
To be awake.
See (verb)
perceive with the eyes; discern visually
“Andrew couldn’t see out of his left eye”
“in the distance she could see the blue sea”
“I can’t see into the future”
See (verb)
be or become aware of something from observation or from a written or other visual source
“I see from your appraisal report that you have asked for training”
See (verb)
be a spectator of (a film, game, or other entertainment); watch
“I went to see King Lear at the Old Vic”
See (verb)
refer to (a specified source) for further information (used as a direction in a text)
“elements are usually classified as metals or non-metals (see chapter 11)”
See (verb)
discern or deduce after reflection or from information; understand
“I can’t see any other way to treat it”
“she could see what Rhoda meant”
“I saw that perhaps he was right”
See (verb)
ascertain after inquiring, considering, or discovering an outcome
“I’ll go along to the club and see if I can get a game”
See (verb)
regard in a specified way
“he saw himself as a good teacher”
“you and I see things differently”
See (verb)
find good or attractive qualities in (someone)
“I don’t know what I see in you”
See (verb)
view or predict as a possibility; envisage
“I can’t see him earning any more anywhere else”
See (verb)
used to ascertain or express comprehension, agreement, or continued attention, or to emphasize that an earlier prediction was correct
“see, I told you I’d come”
“it has to be the answer, don’t you see?”
See (verb)
experience or witness (an event or situation)
“I shall not live to see it”
“I can’t bear to see you so unhappy”
See (verb)
be the time or setting of (something)
“the 1970s saw the beginning of a technological revolution”
See (verb)
meet (someone one knows) socially or by chance
“I saw Colin last night”
See (verb)
visit (a person or place)
“see Alaska in style”
“I went to see Caroline”
See (verb)
meet regularly as a boyfriend or girlfriend
“some guy she was seeing was messing her around”
See (verb)
consult (a specialist or professional)
“you may need to see a solicitor”
See (verb)
give an interview or consultation to
“the doctor will see you now”
See (verb)
escort or conduct (someone) to a specified place
“don’t bother seeing me out”
See (verb)
ensure
“see that no harm comes to him”
“Lucy saw to it that everyone got enough to eat”
See (verb)
(in poker or brag) equal the bet of (an opponent) and require them to reveal their cards in order to determine who has won the hand.
See (noun)
the place in which a cathedral church stands, identified as the seat of authority of a bishop or archbishop.
Watch (verb)
look at or observe attentively over a period of time
“as she watched, two women came into the garden”
“Lucy watched him go”
“everyone stopped to watch what was going on”
Watch (verb)
keep under careful, protective, or secret observation
“he told me my telephones were tapped and that I was being watched”
“there aren’t enough staff to watch him properly”
Watch (verb)
observe and guard in a protective way
“I guess I can rest a while, with you here to watch over me”
Watch (verb)
follow closely or maintain an interest in
“the girls watched the development of this relationship with incredulity”
Watch (verb)
exercise care, caution, or restraint about
“you should watch what you say!”
“most women watch their diet during pregnancy”
Watch (verb)
look out or be on the alert for
“in spring and summer, watch for kingfishers”
“watch out for broken glass”
Watch (verb)
be careful
“credit-card fraud is on the increase, so watch out”
Watch (verb)
be careful (used as a warning or threat)
“if anyone finds out, you’re dead meat, so watch it”
Watch (verb)
remain awake for the purpose of religious observance
“she watched whole nights in the church”
Watch (noun)
a small timepiece worn typically on a strap on one’s wrist
“my watch had stopped”
Watch (noun)
an act or instance of carefully observing someone or something over a period of time
“the security forces have been keeping a close watch on our activities”
Watch (noun)
a period during which a person is stationed to look out for danger or trouble, typically at night
“Murray took the last watch before dawn”
Watch (noun)
a fixed period of duty on a ship, usually lasting four hours
“sea air, lots of exercise, and four-hour watches give everyone a healthy appetite”
Watch (noun)
the officers and crew on duty during a watch.
Watch (noun)
a shift worked by firefighters or police officers
“the men of Red Watch at Kingsland Fire Station”
Watch (noun)
a watchman or group of watchmen who patrolled and guarded the streets of a town before the introduction of the police force
“the woman, with a piercing shriek, called the watch”
Watch (noun)
a film or programme considered in terms of its appeal to the public
“this movie’s an engrossing watch”
Watch (noun)
a flock of nightingales
“a watch of nightingales began flying south”