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# ward

noun (a ward, wards); verb (ward off)

«ward» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A room in a hospital with beds for patients. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/ward/#m1)
2. An area of a town or city that votes for its own councillor. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/ward/#m2)
3. A child who is looked after by a guardian or court, not their parents. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/ward/#m3)
4. (verb, «ward off») To keep something bad away: ward off germs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/ward/#m4)

### In the lessons

In everyday life: a children's ward in hospital. In citizenship: local wards and councillors. In stories: a ward of a rich family. In health: washing hands to ward off colds. Phrases: «hospital ward», «ward off».

### Examples

- Grandpa is on a ward on the third floor. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/ward/#x1)
- The nurses on the children's ward were very kind. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/ward/#x2)
- Our town is split into six wards. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/ward/#x3)
- The orphan became the ward of her uncle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/ward/#x4)
- Garlic was said to ward off vampires in old stories. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/ward/#x5)
- Wear a warm coat to ward off the cold. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/ward/#x6)
- “Let us do so,” his ward agreed [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/ward/#x7)

### Note

Countable. «Ward off» is a phrasal verb: warded off. Words with -ward (forward, backward) mean direction and are different. Garlic warding off vampires is only a story.

## In Jewish tradition

In the Torah, a place of custody where a prisoner is held until a decision is made. Later it also means a watch or turn of duty, as when the Temple singers and gatekeepers kept "the ward" at the gates and store-houses. "Side-ward" in Samuel just means toward the side.

**Interpretation.** In Numbers, the Sabbath wood-gatherer was held until God declared the punishment. Tradition says a person was held until the law was clear. The wards of Nehemiah are read as the orderly shifts of Levites serving in the Temple.

### Examples

- And he put them all together into ward three days. (Torah GEN.42.17, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/ward/#x1)
- And they put him in ward, because it had not been declared what should be done to him. (Torah NUM.15.34, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/ward/#x2)
- And they put him in ward, that it might be declared unto them at the mouth of the LORD. (Torah LEV.24.12, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/ward/#x3)
- Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over against them in wards. (Writings NEH.12.9, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/ward/#x4)
- And I will shoot three arrows to the side-ward, as though I shot at a mark. (Prophets 1SA.20.20, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/ward/#x5)
- Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the ward at the store-houses of the gates. (Writings NEH.12.25, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/ward/#x6)

### Note

Countable. «Ward off» is a phrasal verb: warded off. Words with -ward (forward, backward) mean direction and are different. Garlic warding off vampires is only a story.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «ward» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/ward/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ward» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ward.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «ward» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/ward/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ward» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/ward.html) on Mova free.