WARD
none. 1 separate part of a hospital or room for a particular group of patients. 2 administrative division of a constituency. 3 a minor under the care of a guardian or court. B (in full ward of court) minor or mentally deficient person placed under the protection of a court. 4 (in plural.) The corresponding notches and projections in a key and a lock. 5 archaic guardian`s control. ? ward off 1 parry (a blow). 2 avert (danger etc.). [old english] -ward suffix (also -wards) added to nouns of place or destination and to adverbs of direction and forming: 1 adverbs (usually. -wards) meaning ‘towards’ (backwards; homewards). 2 adjectives (usually. -ward) meaning ‘turned or tending towards’ (downward; onward). 3 (less commonly) nouns meaning ‘the region towards or about’ (look to the eastward). [old english]