sentry
pronunciation
How to pronounce sentry in British English:
UK [ˈsentri]
How to pronounce sentry in American English:
US [ˈsɛntri]
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- Noun:
- a person employed to watch for something to happen
Word Origin
- sentry
- sentry: [17] Sentry is probably short for the now obsolete centrinell ‘sentry’. This first appeared in the 16th century as a variant of sentinel [16], which came via French sentinelle from Italian sentinella. It is not altogether clear where the Italian noun came from, but it may well have been derived from the verb sentire ‘perceive, watch’, a descendant of Latin sentīre ‘feel’ (from which English gets sense, sentence, sentiment, etc).=> sentinel
- sentry (n.)
- 1610s, originally "watchtower;" perhaps a shortened variant of sentinel, which had a variant form centrinel (1590s); or perhaps worn down from sanctuary, on notion of "shelter for a watchman." Meaning "military guard posted around a camp" is first attested 1630s. Sentry-box is from 1728.
Example
- 1. He threatens the sentry with hanging .
- 2. She did not enjoy killing a german sentry with her bare hands , but she was unsentimental .
- 3. Chongqing police now say they suspect zhou of killing the sentry and stealing his submachine gun .
- 4. The sentry acknowledges that no one loves the bringer of bad news , but is unprepared for the strength of creon 's reaction .