ward

noun

• 1a separate room in a hospital, typically one allocated to a particular type of patient:a children’s ward

• 2an administrative division of a city or borough that typically elects and is represented by a councillor or councillors: the second most marginal ward in Westminster

• 3a child or young person under the care and control of a guardian appointed by their parents or a court: for the last three years, the boy has been my ward
• [mass noun] archaic the state of being in the care of a guardian:the ward and care of the Crown

• 4 (usually wards) any of the internal ridges or bars in a lock which prevent the turning of any key which does not have grooves of corresponding form or size.
• the grooves in the bit of a key that correspond to the wards in a lock.

• 5 [mass noun] archaic the action of keeping a lookout for danger:I saw them keeping ward at one of those huge gates

• 6 historical an area of ground enclosed by the encircling walls of a fortress or castle.

verb

• 1admit (a patient) to a hospital ward: the last of the accident victims was warded

• 2 archaic guard; protect:it was his duty to ward the king