sentry

Everyday

1. A soldier who stands guard at a gate, building or camp to check who comes and to watch for danger. tree →
2. (also sentry duty) The job of guarding. tree →

In the lessons

In history and everyday life, sentries guard palaces and army camps; the guards outside Buckingham Palace stand in sentry boxes. In stories, sneaking past a sentry is a classic moment of tension. Phrases: on sentry duty, sentry box, post a sentry, sentry go.

Examples

• A sentry stood at the palace gates. tree →
• The soldier was on sentry duty all night. tree →
• The guards in London stand in sentry boxes. tree →
• The spies crept past the sleeping sentry. tree →
• The captain posted a sentry at the camp. tree →
• "Halt! Who goes there?" called the sentry. tree →
• "You must not shout so," said the sentry. tree →

Note

Plural: sentries (y → ies). Similar: sentinel, guard. Do not confuse with "century" (100 years) or "sentence".