[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

ward \ward\, v. t. imp.  p. p. warded; p. pr.  vb. n.
   warding. oe. wardien, as. weardian to keep, protect; akin
   to os. ward?n to watch, take care, ofries. wardia, ohg.
   wart?n, g. warten to wait, wait on, attend to, icel. var?a to
   guarantee defend, sw. varda to guard, to watch; cf. of.
   warder, of german origin. see ward, n., and cf. award,
   guard, reward.
   1913 webster
   1. to keep in safety; to watch; to guard; formerly, in a
      specific sense, to guard during the day time.
      1913 webster

            whose gates he found fast shut, no living wight
            to ward the same.                     --spenser.
      1913 webster

   2. to defend; to protect.
      1913 webster

            tell him it was a hand that warded him
            from thousand dangers.                --shak.
      1913 webster

   3. to defend by walls, fortifications, etc. obs.
      1913 webster

   4. to fend off; to repel; to turn aside, as anything
      mischievous that approaches; -- usually followed by off.
      1913 webster

            now wards a felling blow, now strikes again.
                                                  --daniel.
      1913 webster

            the pointed javelin warded off his rage. --addison.
      1913 webster

            it instructs the scholar in the various methods of
            warding off the force of objections.  --i. watts.
      1913 webster
see also:
warded warding ward award guard reward 

Warding >> W Words
Warding, definition of term: Warding
warding_pag1.html