warden
nounverbnouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈwɔːdən//
- United States//ˈwɔɹdən//
A chief administrative officer of a prison.
noun
- 1
archaicA guard or watchman.
He called to the wardens on the outside battlements.
- 2
A chief administrative officer of a prison.
The warden of the state prison, Ezekiel Purdy, was a kind man if stern. He invariably made all newcomers a little speech of welcome […]
- 3
An official charged with supervisory duties or with the enforcement of specific laws or regulations; such as a game warden or air-raid warden.
- 4
A governing official in various institutions
the warden of a college
Etymology
From Middle English wardein, from Anglo-Norman wardein, from warder (“to guard”), variant of Old French guarder (“to guard”) (whence modern French garder, also English guard), from Proto-Germanic *ward-; related to Old High German wartēn (“to watch”). Compare guardian, French gardien, from Old French guardian, guardein. Compare also ward and reward. Doublet of guardian.
verb
- 1
To carry out the duties of a warden.
noun
- 1
A variety of pear.
Faith I would have had him rosted like a warden in a brown Paper, and no more talk on’t:
I must have saffron to colour the warden pies;
In September, come Grapes; Apples; Poppies of all colours; Peaches; Melo-Cotones; Nectarines; Cornelians; Wardens; Quinces.
Wardens, a name given to pears which never melt, are long keeping, and used for cooking only. The name comes from the Cistercian Abbey of Warden in Beds. Parkinson’s Warden is now Black Worcester. There are Spanish, White and Red Wardens.
Etymology
From Middle English wardon, origin uncertain; perhaps from Anglo-Norman or Anglo-Latin wardo, -ōnis.
Forms
- plural
- wardens
- past tense
- wardened
- past participle
- wardened
- present participle
- wardening
- third person singular
- wardens
warden · A chief administrative officer of a prison.
Warden · A surname originating as an occupation for a warden.wardrobe · A governmental office or department in a monarchy which…warehouse · A facility for storing large amounts of merchandise or…