Watchouts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A signal of potential danger or caution that warns individuals of possible risks or pitfalls in a situation is often referred to
2. Alerts that indicate the need for heightened awareness due to possible threats or problematic scenarios are commonly understood as such
3. Cautions that highlight areas or circumstances requiring careful attention due to likely hazards or adverse outcomes are frequently described this way

Etymology: "Watch out" began as a plain command, a warning to stay alert to something nearby, and the noun grew from it. English has a whole family of these: a lookout is a person or post for watching, a hangout a place to linger, a walkout a strike. Each takes a phrasal verb and turns it into a noun for the thing, person, or place involved. "Watchout" follows the same pattern. "Watch" comes from Old English "wæccan," to stay awake and observe, and "out" from "ūt," meaning away from shelter or outside. Together they form a warning about danger in the open, and the noun names that warning or the hazard it points to.

Synonyms: warning, alert, caution, heads-up, advisory