watch (subs.) Copy link Outline I. A keeping awakeII. A keeping awake for security, a guard1. vĭgĭlia (by night)2. excŭbiae, arum (by day or night)3. stătio (the post4. custōdia (safe keeping)III. A watch to tell the time • watch (subs.): I. A keeping awake: vĭgĭlia: who has not heard of Demosthenes' watches? cui non auditae sunt Demosthenis vigiliae? Cic. Tusc. 4, 19, 44: v. wakefulness. II. A keeping awake for security, a guard: 1. vĭgĭlia (by night): that they might keep w. by night, ut noctu vigilias agerent, Cic. Verr. 4, 43, 93: wearied with sentries and w.s, stationibus vigiliisque fessus, Liv. 5, 48: hence of the time of a w., a fourth part of the night: in the first w., prima vigilia, Liv. 5, 44: of the persons: to arrange the w. through the city, disponere vigilias per urbem, Liv. 39, 14, fin. 2. excŭbiae, arum (by day or night): arms, cohorts, w.s, arma, cohortes, excubiae, Cic. Mil. 25, 67: of the persons: he orders the military w. to depart, excubias militares degredi jubet, Tac. A. 13, 18. 3. stătio (the post: hence, esp. in plur., the sentry, the w.): the w. duly arranged, dispositae stationes, Caes. B. G. 5, 16. 4. custōdia (safe keeping): keep w. here, agitato hic custodiam, Pl. Rud. 3, 6, 20: a colony secured by w.s, colonia custodiis munita, Cic. Cat. 1, 3, 8. Phr.: to set a w., vigilias, etc., ponere, disponere: to keep w., v. agere, obire: to keep w. over: custodire aliquem: v. to watch: to visit, inspect the w., vigilias circumire, Tac.: to set a strong w. about the house, domum magnis praesidiis firmare, Cic. III. A watch to tell the time: no exact word; the Romans had no portable timepiece: use hōrŏlŏgium (time-marker generally); sōlārium (sun-dial); clepsydra (water-clock): v. clock. With horologium for a watch, the foll. phrases may serve: the hand of a w., *horologii virgula, gnomon (the pointer of a sun-dial): a w. goes, *h. movetur: stops, *stat: is too fast, slow, *celerius, tardius movetur: to wind up a w., *h. intendere: w.-chain, w.-case, *horologii catella, theca: w.-maker, *horologiorum artifex.
watch (v.) Copy link Outline I. Trans.1. custōdio, 4 (to guard)2. observo, 1 (to w. narrowly)3. servo, 14. spĕcŭlor, 1 (to look out for)5. exspecto, 1 (to w. with hope, desire)6. insĭdior, 1 (with treacherous intent)II. Intrans.1. vĭgĭlo, 1 (not to sleep, to be vigilant, attentive)2. excŭbo, 1 (to lie out on guard)3. animum adverto (to w. with mind as well as eye) • watch (v.): I. Trans.: 1. custōdio, 4 (to guard): the youth who w. your person and your house, juventus quae tuum corpus domumque custodit, Cic. Mil. 25, 67. 2. observo, 1 (to w. narrowly): he w.'d for the dog to be asleep, observavit dum dormitaret canis, Pl. Trin. 1, 2, 133: they w. how he is engrossed, occupationem ejus observant, Cic. Rosc. Am. 8, 22: to lie in wait and w. for, insidiari et observare, id. Or. 62, 210: I bade him w. his opportunity for delivering the letter, praecepi ut tempus observaret epistolae reddendae, Cic. Fam. 11, 16, 1: to w. the door, januam o., Pl. Asin. 2, 2, 7. 3. servo, 1: my wife w.s me, uxor me servat, Pl. Rud. 4, 1, 4: Tisiphone w.s the vestibule, Tisiphone servat vestibulum, Virg. Aen. 6, 556. 4. spĕcŭlor, 1 (to look out for): to w. and examine everything, omnia speculari et perscrutari, Cic. Tusc. 5, 20, 59: the eyes and ears of many will w. and observe you, multorum te oculi et aures speculabuntur et custodient, id. Cat. 1, 2, 6. 5. exspecto, 1 (to w. with hope, desire): I w. for your return with hope, reditum spe exspecto, Cic. Fam. 15, 21, 5: the state is w.ing most eagerly for that, eam rem avidissime civitas exspectat, id. Phil. 14, 1, 1. 6. insĭdior, 1 (with treacherous intent): Gracchus, thinking that they must w. for this opportunity, huic Gracchus insidiandum tempori ratus, Liv. 23, 35, ad fin. Phr.: to have any one w.'d, custodem (custodes) alicui dare, ponere, imponere: Cic.: Caes.: to have a place w.'d, locum custodiis munire, Cic.: he w.'d for a chance to overwhelm the other general and army, in alterius ducis exercitusque opprimendi occasionem imminebat, Liv. 25, 20. II. Intrans.: 1. vĭgĭlo, 1 (not to sleep, to be vigilant, attentive): to w. till late at night, ad multam noctem vigilare, Cic. Rep. 6, 10, 10: we must always w., vigilandum 'st semper, Att. in Cic. Planc. 24, 59: I will be sentinel and w. for you, excubabo vigilaboque pro vobis, Cic. Phil. 6, 7, 18. 2. excŭbo, 1 (to lie out on guard): two legions were w.ing before the camp, duae legiones pro castris excubabant, Caes. B. G. 7, 24: Cerberus w.s before the door, Cerberus excubat ante fores, Tib. 1, 3, 72. 3. animum adverto (to w. with mind as well as eye): let them w. that no tumult arise, animadverterent ne quid tumultus oriretur, Liv. 4, 45: v. to attend, attentive.
WATCH Copy link • WATCH 1. s. Absence of sleep, vigilia (voluntary): insomnia (involuntary). Guard, vigilant keeping, custodia (general term): vigilia (by night): excubiae (by day or night). To keep watch (by night or day), excubare (Caes.); excubias agere (Tac.); excubias habere (Plin.); (by night) vigilare; vigilias agere (Cic.), or agitare (Plaut.); vigilias servare (Curt.): to stand upon the watch, in vigilia stare, manere. Persons keeping guard, (by day) custodiae (Nep.); excubiae (Suet.); excubitores (Caes.); (by night or day) vigiles, vigiliae (Caes.); vigiles nocturni (Plaut.); also, statio (litterally, the station or post occupied by persons keeping guard; then men on guard, whether by day or by night): to set a strong watch about the house, domum magnis praesidiis firmare (Cic.); custodibus or custodiis sepire (Nep.). A period of the night, vigilia (prima, secunda, etc.). A pocket time-piece, horologium (ὡροκόγιον, general term for an instrument that shows the time of day; horologium solarium, or solarium only = sun-dial; clepsydra, κλεφύδρα = water-clock): horae (the hours; the time indicated by a sun-dial, etc.; then sometimes for clock or watch; as Cic., N.D., 2, .38, 97). A watch goes, horologium movetur; goes correctly, well, etc., horologii lineae congruunt ad horas (of a sun-dial, in Plin.): horologii virgula congruit ad horas (of a watch, adapted from Plin.); does not go well, horologii virgula non congruit ad horas; goes too fast, or gains, *horologium celerius movetur; too slow, loses, *horologium tardius movetur; repeats, *horologium sono indicat horas: to set a watch, horologium diligenter ordinare (Plin., 7, 60, 60): to wind up a watch, *horologium intendere: a watch is gone down, horologium moveri desiit: spring of a watch, *elater horologii: works of a watch, machinatio qua horae moventur (after Cic., N.D., 2, 38, 97): hand of a watch, *horologii virgula (☞ gnomon was the pointer in a sun-dial). 2. v. Intransitively, Not to sleep [Vid: To be AWAKE]. To be vigilant and attentive, vigilare: advigilare: animum intendere circa, in, or ad aliquid, also, animum advertere alicui rei or ad aliquid: animum attendere ad aliquid (to direct or turn one’s attention to anything): observare aliquid (to observe): adesse animo or (if of several persons) animis: erigere mentem or (if of several persons) mentes auresque (both, to be attentive or intent upon the delivery of a speech): operam dare alicui rei (to direct all one’s attention to): custodire aliquem (to watch or observe anybody closely; or, if secretly, aliquem alicujus oculi et aures non sentientem speculantur et custodiunt). To watch anything closely, acriter animum intendere ad aliquid; acrem et diligentem esse animadversorem alicujus rei: to watch a time and opportunity, tempus, occasionemque observare. To keep guard [Vid: To GUARD]. To be on the look-out, speculari: in speculis esse. To watch for anybody, exspectare aliquem: exspectare dum aliquis veniat (to wait till anybody comes); alicujus adventum captare; (with desire) haud mediocriter (to look eagerly for the arrival of anybody, Planc, in Cic., Ep., 10, 23); alicui insidiari (to lie in ambush for; and, general term, to wait for): to wait for anything, aliquid captare, observare; aliquid aucupari (to waitfor an opportunity); speculari (followed by ne or quid, to look out; ☞ only in Tac., and poets with an accusative = to wait for; e.g., speculabor, ne quis adit; speculabor, quid ibi agatur): to watch for an opportunity, occasionem captare; occasioni or in occasionem imminere; for a favorable moment, tempus aucupari; tempori insidiari (Liv., 23, 35). Transitively, To guard, custodire (the proper word, also, figuratively = observare): servare: asservare (to take care of). To be watched, custodiri; in custodia esse: to cause to be watched, custodem or custodes imponere; anything, alicui rei or (rarely) in re; anybody, alicui (☞ never in aliquo; Vid: Bremi, Nep., Cim., 4, 1); custodias alicui circumdare: to cause a place to be watched, locum custodiis munire: many eyes will observe and watch you, although you are not aware of it, multorum te oculi non sentientem speculabuntur atque custodient. To observe narrowly, observare; rem attendere. Vid: ATTEND.