Sentrie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An armed guard or lookout stationed to keep watch over a place and warn of any approaching danger
2. A soldier or watchman posted at a post or gate to observe the surroundings and challenge anyone who approaches
3. A person assigned to stand guard, keeping vigilant over an area and alerting others to threats

Etymology: "Sentrie" is an older spelling of "sentry," the word for a guard posted to watch over a place. The spelling reflects how the word was pronounced in earlier English, when the final syllable was often written as "-ie" or "-y." Sentry is a shortened form of "sentinel," which English borrowed from Italian "sentinella," a watchman posted on a wall or tower. The Italian word's own origin is uncertain. The shorter form probably developed through everyday speech, where a long word was clipped to its stressed syllables, so the guard's title became quicker to say.

Synonyms: sentry, guard, sentinel, lookout, picket