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

watch \watch\ wo^ch, n. oe. wacche, as. waecce, fr.
   wacian to wake; akin to d. wacht, waak, g. wacht, wache.
   root134. see wake, v. i. 
   1913 webster
   1. the act of watching; forbearance of sleep; vigil; wakeful,
      vigilant, or constantly observant attention; close
      observation; guard; preservative or preventive vigilance;
      formerly, a watching or guarding by night.
      1913 webster

            shepherds keeping watch by night.     --milton.
      1913 webster

            all the long night their mournful watch they keep.
                                                  --addison.
      1913 webster

   note: watch was formerly distinguished from ward, the former
         signifying a watching or guarding by night, and the
         latter a watching, guarding, or protecting by day
         hence, they were not unfrequently used together,
         especially in the phrase to keep watch and ward, to
         denote continuous and uninterrupted vigilance or
         protection, or both watching and guarding. this
         distinction is now rarely recognized, watch being used
         to signify a watching or guarding both by night and by
         day, and ward, which is now rarely used, having simply
         the meaning of guard, or protection, without reference
         to time.
         1913 webster

               still, when she slept, he kept both watch and
               ward.                              --spenser.
         1913 webster

               ward, guard, or custodia, is chiefly applied to
               the daytime, in order to apprehend rioters, and
               robbers on the highway . . . watch, is properly
               applicable to the night only, . . . and it begins
               when ward ends, and ends when that begins.
                                                  --blackstone.
         1913 webster

   2. one who watches, or those who watch; a watchman, or a body
      of watchmen; a sentry; a guard.
      1913 webster

            pilate said unto them, ye have a watch; go your way,
            make it as sure as ye can.            --matt. xxvii.
                                                  65.
      1913 webster

   3. the post or office of a watchman; also, the place where a
      watchman is posted, or where a guard is kept.
      1913 webster

            he upbraids iago, that he made him
            brave me upon the watch.              --shak.
      1913 webster

   4. the period of the night during which a person does duty as
      a sentinel, or guard; the time from the placing of a
      sentinel till his relief; hence, a division of the night.
      1913 webster

            i did stand my watch upon the hill.   --shak.
      1913 webster

            might we but hear . . .
            or whistle from the lodge, or village cock
            count the night watches to his feathery dames.
                                                  --milton.
      1913 webster

   5. a small timepiece, or chronometer, to be carried about the
      person, the machinery of which is moved by a spring.
      1913 webster

   note: watches are often distinguished by the kind of
         escapement used, as an anchor watch, a lever watch,
         a chronometer watch, etc. see the note under
         escapement, n., 3; also, by the kind of case, as a
         gold or silver watch, an open-faced watch, a
         hunting watch, or hunter, etc.
         1913 webster

   6. naut.
      a an allotted portion of time, usually four hour for
          standing watch, or being on deck ready for duty. cf.
          dogwatch.
      b that part, usually one half, of the officers and crew,
          who together attend to the working of a vessel for an
          allotted time, usually four hours. the watches are
          designated as the port watch, and the starboard
          watch.
          1913 webster

   anchor watch naut., a detail of one or more men who keep
      watch on deck when a vessel is at anchor.

   to be on the watch, to be looking steadily for some event.
      

   watch and ward law, the charge or care of certain
      officers to keep a watch by night and a guard by day in
      towns, cities, and other districts, for the preservation
      of the public peace. --wharton. --burrill.

   watch and watch naut., the regular alternation in being
      on watch and off watch of the two watches into which a
      ship's crew is commonly divided.

   watch barrel, the brass box in a watch, containing the
      mainspring.

   watch bell naut., a bell struck when the half-hour glass
      is run out, or at the end of each half hour. --craig.

   watch bill naut., a list of the officers and crew of a
      ship as divided into watches, with their stations.
      --totten.

   watch case, the case, or outside covering, of a watch;
      also, a case for holding a watch, or in which it is kept.
      

   watch chain. same as watch guard, below.

   watch clock, a watchman's clock; see under watchman.

   watch fire, a fire lighted at night, as a signal, or for
      the use of a watch or guard.

   watch glass.
      a a concavo-convex glass for covering the face, or dial,
          of a watch; -- also called watch crystal.
      b naut. a half-hour glass used to measure the time of
          a watch on deck.

   watch guard, a chain or cord by which a watch is attached
      to the person.

   watch gun naut., a gun sometimes fired on shipboard at 8
      p. m., when the night watch begins.

   watch light, a low-burning lamp used by watchers at night;
      formerly, a candle having a rush wick.

   watch night, the last night of the year; -- so called by
      the methodists, moravians, and others, who observe it by
      holding religious meetings lasting until after midnight.
      

   watch paper, an old-fashioned ornament for the inside of a
      watch case, made of paper cut in some fanciful design, as
      a vase with flowers, etc.

   watch tackle naut., a small, handy purchase, consisting
      of a tailed double block, and a single block with a hook.
      1913 webster
see also:
wake anchor watch lever watch chronometer watch escapement gold 
silver watch open-faced watch hunting watch hunter dogwatch 
port watch starboard watch anchor watch to be on the watch watch and ward 
watch and watch watch barrel watch bell watch bill watch case 
watch chain watch guard watch clock watchman watch fire 
watch glass watch crystal watch guard watch gun watch light 
watch night watch paper watch tackle 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

watch case
     n : the metal case in which the works of a watch are housed

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