ward
ward [ward wards warded warding] noun, verb BrE [wɔːd] NAmE [wɔːrd]
noun
1. a separate room or area in a hospital for people with the same type of medical condition
•a maternity/surgical/psychiatric/children's, etc. ward
•He worked as a nurse on the children's ward.
2. (in Britain) one of the areas into which a city is divided and which elects and is represented by a member of the local council
3. (law)a person, especially a child, who is under the legal protection of a court or another person (called a ↑guardian)
•The child was made a ward of court.
Word Origin:
Old English weard (originally referring to ‘the action of keeping a lookout for danger’, also ‘body of guards’), weardian ‘keep safe, guard’, of Germanic origin; reinforced in Middle English by Old Northern French warde (noun), warder (verb) ‘guard’.
Example Bank:
•How many midwives are on the ward?
•She spent five days in the maternity ward.
•The doctor was doing her morning ward round.
Derived: ↑ward somebody off
verb
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Old English weard (originally referring to ‘the action of keeping a lookout for danger’, also ‘body of guards’), weardian ‘keep safe, guard’, of Germanic origin; reinforced in Middle English by Old Northern French warde (noun), warder (verb) ‘guard’.
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