watch As a noun, from Middle English wacche, Etymology As a noun, from Middle English wacche,See below for verb form. Noun watch (plural watches) 1.A portable or wearable timepiece. [quotations ▼] More people today carry a watch on their wrists than in their pockets. 2.The act of guarding and observing someone or something. [quotations ▼] 3.A particular time period when guarding is kept. [quotations ▼]The second watch of the night began at midnight. 4.A person or group of people who guard. [quotations ▼]The watch stopped the travelers at the city gates. 5.The post or office of a watchman; also, the place where a watchman is posted, or where a guard is kept. [quotations ▼] 6.(nautical) A group of sailors and officers aboard a ship or shore station with a common period of duty: starboard watch, port watch. 7.(nautical) 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). 8.The act of seeing, or viewing, for a period of time. [quotations ▼] Derived terms[edit] (Terms derived from the noun “watch”) 手表 (戴在手腕上的计时仪器) 手表,或称为腕表,是指戴在手腕上,用以计时/显示时间的仪器,手表在英语里watch源自中世纪wacche这一词汇。 手表通常是利用皮革、橡胶、尼龙布、不锈钢等材料,制成表带,将显示时间的“表头”束在手腕上。