Definition

Noun: - The duty of serving as a sentry: The specific task or responsibility of acting as a guard, typically involving watching over a location or area to provide security and raise an alarm if necessary.

Usage

This term refers to the assigned responsibility or shift of acting as a guard. It is a formal and specific term often used in military, security, or ceremonial contexts. - He was assigned to sentry duty at the main gate. - The soldiers rotated their sentry duty every four hours.

Advanced Usage

• "to be on sentry duty": To be actively performing the role of a sentry.
  • Private Jones is currently on sentry duty at the perimeter fence.

Variants and Related Words

• Sentry (n): A soldier or guard whose job is to stand and keep watch.
• Guard duty (n): A more general term for the task of keeping watch or protecting.
• Watch (n): The act of staying awake to guard or protect.

Synonyms

• Guard duty
• Watch
• Sentry go (a less common, older military term)

Related Phrases

• To stand sentry: To perform the duty of a sentry.
  • He was ordered to stand sentry until dawn.
• To pull sentry duty: To be assigned or to perform sentry duty (informal).
  • We all have to pull sentry duty tonight.

Noun

1. the duty of serving as a sentry
   • he was on guard that night