Definition

1. Noun:
   • Watchtower: A tall structure, often a small tower or elevated platform, built for the purpose of observation and guarding. It is typically used by soldiers, guards, or lookouts to monitor an area for security or military purposes.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Người lính đứng canh trên vọng gác. (The soldier stands guard on the watchtower.)
  • Vọng gác được xây ở vị trí cao nhất của doanh trại. (The watchtower was built at the highest point of the military camp.)
  • Từ vọng gác, anh ấy có thể quan sát toàn bộ khu vực xung quanh. (From the watchtower, he could observe the entire surrounding area.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "vọng gác" is primarily used in formal, historical, or military contexts. In modern, everyday conversation for a simple security booth or guard post, words like "chòi canh" (guard hut) or "trạm gác" (guard station) might be more common.
• It implies a fixed, permanent, and often elevated structure designed specifically for the duty of watching and guarding.

Variants and Related Words

• Chòi canh (n): Guard hut, sentry box. A simpler, often smaller structure for a guard.
• Trạm gác (n): Guard post, guard station. Can refer to both simple and more formal posts.
• Tháp canh (n): Watchtower, guard tower. Very similar in meaning to "vọng gác", often used interchangeably.
• Đài quan sát (n): Observation tower. A broader term that can be for military, scientific, or tourist purposes.

Synonyms

• Tháp canh: Watchtower, guard tower.
• Đài quan sát: Observation post.

Related Phrases / Idioms

• Đứng vọng gác: To stand watch/to be on guard duty (on a watchtower). This phrase specifically evokes the image of performing guard duty from an elevated post.
  • Suốt đêm, những người lính trẻ phải đứng vọng gác. (All night, the young soldiers had to stand watch.)

noun

1. watch tower