Online Etymology Dictionary

watch (v.): O.E. wæccan "keep watch, be awake," from P.Gmc. *wakojan; essentially the same word as O.E. wacian "be or remain awake" (see wake (v.)); perhaps a Northumbrian form. Watchdog is recorded from 1610; fig. sense is attested from 1845.
watch (n.): O.E. wæcce "a watching," from wæccan (see watch (v.)). Sense of "sentinel" is recorded from c.1300; that of "person or group officially patroling a town (esp. at night) to keep order, etc." is first recorded 1539. Meaning "period of time in which a division of a ship's crew remains on deck" is from 1585. Sense of "period into which a night was divided in ancient times" translates L. vigilia, Gk. phylake, Heb. ashmoreth.
"The Hebrews divided the night into three watches, the Greeks usually into four (sometimes five), the Romans (followed by the Jews in New Testament times) into four." [OED]
The meaning "small timepiece" is from 1588, developing from that of "a clock to wake up sleepers" (1440). Watchmaker is recorded from 1630; watchtower is attested from 1544.
watchword: c.1400, "password," from watch (n.) in the military sense of "period of standing guard duty" + word. In the sense of "motto, slogan" it dates from 1738.
wake (n.2): "state of wakefulness," O.E. -wacu (as in nihtwacu "night watch"), related to watch; and partly from O.N. vaka "vigil, eve before a feast," related to vaka "be awake" (cf. O.H.G. wahta "watch, vigil," M.Du. wachten "to watch, guard;" see wake (v.)). Meaning "a sitting up at night with a corpse" is attested from 1412 (the verb in this sense is recorded from c.1250). The custom largely survived as an Irish activity. Wakeman (c.1200), which survives as a surname, was M.E. for "watchman."
observe: late 14c., "to hold to" (a manner of life or course of conduct), from O.Fr. observer, from L. observare "watch over, look to, attend to, guard," from ob "over" + servare "to watch, keep safe," from PIE base *ser- "to protect." Meaning "to attend to in practice, to keep, follow" is attested from 1390. Sense of "watch, perceive, notice" is c.1560, via notion of "see and note omens." Meaning "to say by way of remark" is from 1605.
surveillance: 1802, from Fr. surveillance "oversight, supervision, a watch," noun of action from surveiller "oversee, watch," from sur- "over" + veiller "to watch," from L. vigilare, from vigil "watchful" (see vigil). Seemingly a word of the Terror in France. A hideous back-formation, surveille (v.), was coined in 1960 in U.S. government jargon. Pray that it dies.
wait (v.): c.1200, "to watch with hostile intent, lie in wait for," from O.N.Fr. waitier "to watch" (Fr. guetter), from Frank. *wahton (cf. Du. wacht "a watching," O.H.G. wahten, Ger. wachten "to watch, to guard;" O.H.G. wahhon "to watch, be awake," O.E. wacian "to be awake;" see wake (v.)). General sense of "remain in some place" is from 1375; meaning "serve as an attendant at a table" is from 1568. The noun is first attested c.1300. To wait (something) out "endure a period of waiting" is recorded from 1909, originally Amer.Eng., in ref. to baseball batters trying to draw a base on balls. Waiting game is recorded from 1890. Waiting room is attested from 1683. Waiting list is recorded from 1897; the verb wait-list "to put (someone) on a waiting list" is recorded from 1960.
vigil: early 13c., "eve of a religious festival" (an occasion for devotional watching or observance), from Anglo-Fr. and O.Fr. vigile, from L. vigilia "watch, watchfulness," from vigil "watchful, awake," from PIE *wog-/*weg- "be lively or active, be strong" (cf. L. vigere "be lively, thrive," velox "fast, lively," vegere "to enliven;" Skt. vaja- "strength, speed;" O.E. wacan "to wake up, arise," wacian "to be awake;" O.H.G. wahta "watch, vigil"). Meaning "watch kept on a festival eve" is from late 14c.; that of "occasion of keeping awake for some purpose" is recorded from 1711.
reward (v.): early 14c., from O.N.Fr. rewarder, variant of O.Fr. regarder "take notice of, regard, watch over," from re-, intensive prefix, + garder "look, heed, watch" (see guard). Originally any form of requital.
await: early 13c., awaiten, from O.N.Fr. awaitier (O.Fr. agaitier) "to lie in wait for, watch, observe," from a- "to" + waitier "to watch." Originally especially with a hostile sense.
Prince Albert: "piercing that consists of a ring which goes through the urethra and out behind the glans," mid-20c., supposedly so-called from the modern legend that Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1819-61), prince consort of Queen Victoria, had one. But the term seems to be not older than bodyart maven Doug Malloy and his circle, and the stories about the prince may be fantastical inventions. Perhaps there is some connection with Albert underworld/pawnshop slang for "gold watch chain" (1861), which is probably from the common portraits of the prince in which he is shown with a conspicuous gold watch chain. Many fashions in male dress made popular by him bore his name late 19c.
death: O.E. deað, from P.Gmc. *dauthaz, from verbal stem *dau- "die" + *-thuz suffix indicating "act, process, condition." Death's-head, a symbol of mortality, is from 1590s. Death row first recorded 1940s. Death knell is attested from 1814; death penalty from 1875; death rate from 1859. Slang be death on "be very good at" is from 1839. Death wish first recorded 1896. The death-watch beetle (1660s) inhabits houses, makes a ticking noise like a watch, and is superstitiously supposed to portend death.
patrol (n.): 1664, "action of going the rounds" (of a military camp, etc.), from Fr. patrouille "a night watch" (1539), from patrouiller "go the rounds to watch or guard," originally "tramp through the mud," probably soldiers' slang, from O.Fr. patouiller "paddle in water," probably from pate "paw, foot" (see patois). Compare paddlefoot, World War II U.S. Army slang for "infantry soldier." Meaning "those who go on a patrol" is from 1670. Sense of "detachment of soldiers sent out to scout the countryside, the enemy, etc." is attested from 1702. The verb first recorded 1691. Patrolman "police constable on a particular beat" is first recorded 1879, Amer.Eng.
caveat: 1549, from L. "let him beware," 3rd pers. sing. pres. subjunctive of cavere "to beware, take heed, watch, guard against," from PIE base *skeue- "to pay attention, perceive" (cf. Skt. kavih "wise, sage, seer, poet;" Lith. kavoti "tend, safeguard;" Arm. cucanem "I show;" L. cautio "wariness;" Gk. koein "to mark, perceive, hear," kydos "glory, fame," lit. "that which is heard of;" O.C.S. chujo "to feel, perceive, hear," cudo "wonder," lit. "that which is heard of;" Czech (z)koumati "to perceive, be aware of;" Serbian chuvati "watch, heed;" O.E. sceawian "to look at;" M.Du. schoon "beautiful, bright," prop. "showy;" Goth. hausjan "hear").
lifeguard: 1648, "bodyguard of soldiers," from Ger. leibgarde. Sense of "person paid to watch over bathers" is from 1896.
awake (v.): a merger of two M.E. verbs: 1. awaken, from O.E. awæcnan (earlier onwæcnan; strong, past tense awoc, pp. awacen) "to awake, arise," from a "on" + wacan "to arise, become awake" (see wake (v.)); and 2. awakien, from O.E. awacian (weak, p.p. awacode), from a "on" + wacian "to be awake, remain awake, watch" (see watch (v.)). Both were originally intrans. only; the trans. sense being expressed by M.E. awecchen (from O.E. aweccan) until later M.E. In Mod.Eng., the tendency has been to restrict the strong past tense and pp. (awoke, awoken) to the original intransitive sense and the weak inflection (awakened) to the transitive, but this never has been complete (see wake; also cf. awaken).
Easter Island: so called because it was discovered by Du. navigator Jakob Roggeveen on April 2, 1722, which was Easter Monday. It had been earlier visited by English pirate Edward Davis (1695), but he neglected to name it. The native Polynesian name is Mata-kite-ran "Eyes that Watch the Stars."
tutelage: 1605, from L. tutela "a watching, protection," from variant pp. stem of tueri "watch over" (see tutor). Meaning "instruction, tuition" first appeared 1857.
vidette: 1690, from Fr., from It. (Florentine) vedetta "watch tower, peep hole," from vedere "to see" (see vista).
fob (n.): 1653, "small pocket for valuables," probably related to Low Ger. fobke "pocket," High Ger. fuppe "pocket." Meaning "chain attached to a watch carried in the fob" is from 1885.
outlook: "mental view or survey," 1742, from out + look (v.). The meaning "prospect for the future" is attested from 1851. The literal sense of "vigilant watch, act or practice of looking out" (1815) is rare; look-out being used instead for this.
loophole: 1464, from M.E. loupe "opening in a wall" (c.1300), perhaps related to M.Du. lupen "to watch, peer;" + hole. Figurative sense of "outlet, means of escape" is from 1663.
Cerberus: "watch-dog guardian of Hades," late 14c., Latinized form of Gk. Kerberos, of unknown origin, perhaps cognate with Skt. karbarah, sabalah "spotted, speckled." Sabalah was the name of one of the two dogs of Yama.
glom: 1907, from glahm "grab, snatch, steal," Amer.Eng. underworld slang, from Scot. glaum (1715), from Gael. glam "to handle awkwardly, grab voraciously, devour." Sense of "look at, watch" (1945) is apparently derived from the same word.
warden: early 13c., "one who guards," from O.N.Fr. wardein, from Frankish *warding- (cf. O.Fr. guardenc), from *wardon "to watch, guard" (see ward (v.)). Meaning "governor of a prison" is recorded from c.1300.
overlook (v.): mid-14c., "to examine, scrutinize, inspect," from over + look (q.v.). Another M.E. sense was "to peer over the top of." These two literal senses have given rise to the two main modern meanings. Meaning "to look over or beyond and thus not see, to choose to not notice" is first recorded 1520s. Seemingly contradictory sense of "to watch over officially, keep an eye on, superintend" is from 1530s. Overlooking also was the common term for "inflicting the evil eye on" (someone or something).
picket (n.): 1690, "pointed stake (for defense against cavalry, etc.)," from Fr. piquet, from piquer "to pierce" (see pike (2)). Sense of "troops posted to watch for enemy" first recorded 1761; that of "striking workers stationed to prevent others from entering a factory" is from 1867. The verb in this sense also is from 1867.
bivouac: 1702, from Fr., ult. from Swiss/Alsatian biwacht "night guard," from bei- "double, additional" + wacht "guard." Original meaning was an army that stayed up on night watch; sense of "outdoor camp" is 1853. Not a common word in Eng. before the Napoleonic Wars.
conserve: late 14c., from O.Fr. conserver, from L. conservare "to keep, preserve," from com- intens. prefix + servare "keep watch, maintain" (see observe).
sentinel: 1579, from M.Fr. sentinelle, from It. sentinella, perhaps (via a notion of "perceive, watch"), from sentire "to hear, perceive," from L. senire "feel" (see sense).
oversee: O.E. oferseon "to look down upon, keep watch over," from ofer "over" + seon "to see" (see see). Meaning "to supervise" is attested from c.1449; overseer "superintendent" is from 1523. The verb lacks the double sense of similar overlook (q.v.), but this emerges in the noun form oversight, which means both "supervision, care management" (c.1300) and "fact of passing over without seeing" (1477).
spectacle: mid-14c., "specially prepared or arranged display," from O.Fr. spectacle, from L. spectaculum "a show, spectacle," from spectare "to view, watch," frequentative form of specere "to look at," from PIE *spek- "to observe" (see scope (1)).
alert (adv.): c.1600, from Fr. alerte "vigilant," from phrase à l'erte "on the watch," from It. all'erta "to the height," from erta "lookout, high tower," orig. fem. of erto, pp. of ergere "raise up," from L. erigere "raise." The adv. is the oldest form in Eng.; the adj. is from 1712, the noun from 1803, and the verb from 1868.
award (v.): late 14c., "decide after careful observation," from Anglo-Fr. awarder, from O.N.Fr. eswarder (O.Fr. esguarder) "decide, examine" (after careful consideration), from es- "out" + guarder "to watch" (see guard (n.)). The noun meaning "something awarded" is first attested 1590s.
spectator: 1586, from L. spectator "viewer, watcher," from pp. stem of spectare "to view, watch" (see spectacle). Spectate (v.) is a back-formation attested from 1929. Spectator sport is attested from 1943.
telemeter: 1860, a rangefinder for surveying and artillery, from Fr. télémètre (1852), from télé- "far" (see tele-) + mètre "meter" (see meter (2)). Used from 1953 for a pay-as-you-watch TV system with a coin box attached to the set.
charm: c.1300, from O.Fr. charme "incantation," from L. carmen "song, verse, enchantment," from canere "to sing" (see chant), with dissimilation of -n- to -r- before -m-. The notion is of chanting or reciting verses of magical power. Sense of "pleasing quality" first recorded 1598. Meaning "small trinket fastened to a watch-chain, etc." first recorded 1865.
ware (v.): "to take heed of, beware," O.E. warian "to guard against," from P.Gmc. *warojan, from *waro- "to guard, watch" (cf. O.Fris. waria, O.N. vara); related to O.E. wær "aware" (see wary).
reveille: 1644, from Fr. réveillez (vous) "awaken!" imperative plural of réveiller "to awaken, to wake up," from M.Fr. re- "again" + eveiller "to rouse," from V.L. *exvigilare, from L. ex- "out" + vigilare "be awake, keep watch" (see vigil).
intuitive: 1640s, from M.L. intuitivus, from intuitus, pp. of intueri "look at, consider," from in- "at, on" + tueri "to look at, watch over" (see tuition).
step (n.): O.E. steppa (Mercian), stæpe, stepe (W.Saxon) "stair, act of stepping," from the source of step (v.). Meaning "action which leads toward a result" is recorded from 1549. Stepladder (one with steps instead of rungs) is from 1751. Warning phrase watch your step is attested from 1934. Step-dancing first recorded 1886.
heed: O.E. hedan "to take care, attend," from W.Gmc. *hodjan (cf. OS. hodian, O.Fris. hoda, Ger. hüten "to guard, watch"). Survives only in lit. use and as the object of verbs (take heed, etc.). Probably related to O.E. hod "hood" through a sense of "guard." Heedless "without regard" is from 1579.
telescope: 1648, from It. telescopio (used by Galileo, 1611), and Mod.L. telescopium (used by Kepler, 1613), both from Gk. teleskopos "far-seeing," from tele- "far" (see tele-) + -skopos "seeing," from skopein "to watch." Said to have been coined by Prince Cesi, founder and head of the Roman Academy of the Lincei (Galileo was a member). Used in Eng. in L. form from 1619. The verb meaning "to force together one inside the other" (like the sliding tubes of some telescopes) is first recorded 1867.
amphitheater: 1540s, from L. amphitheatrum, from Gk. amphitheatron, neut. of amphitheatros "with spectators all around," from amphi- "on both sides" + theatron "theater," from theasthai "watch, look at" (see theater). Classical theaters were semi-circles, thus two together made an amphi-theater.
shepherd (n.): O.E. sceaphierde, from sceap "sheep" + hierde "herder," from heord "a herd" (see herd). Cf. M.L.G., M.Du. schaphirde, M.H.G. schafhirte, Ger. dial. schafhirt. Shepherds customarily were buried with a tuft of wool in hand, to prove their occupation on Doomsday and be excused for often missing Sunday church. The metaphoric verbal sense of "watch over or guide" is first recorded 1820. Shepherd's pie is recorded from 1877.
batch: O.E. *bæcce "something baked," from bacan "bake." Batch is to bake as watch is to wake and match ("one of a pair") is to make. Extended 1713 to "any quantity produced at one operation."
tutor: late 14c., "guardian, custodian," from O.Fr. tutour "guardian, private teacher," from L. tutorem (nom. tutor) "guardian, watcher," from tutus, variant pp. of tueri "watch over," of unknown origin. Specific sense of "senior boy appointed to help a junior in his studies" is recorded from 1680s. The verb is attested from 1590s; tutorial (adj.) is recorded from 1742; as a noun it is attested from 1923.
intuition: late 15c., from M.Fr. intuition, from L.L. intuitionem (nom. intuitio) "a looking at, consideration," from L. intuitus, pp. of intueri "look at, consider," from in- "at, on" + tueri "to look at, watch over" (see tuition).
prophylactic (adj.): 1574, originally of medicines, "that tends to prevent disease," from Gk. prophylaktikos "precautionary," from prophylassein "keep guard before, ward off," from pro- "before" + phylassein, Ionic variant of phylattein "to watch over, to guard," but also "cherish, keep, remain in, preserve." The noun is first recorded 1642, "a medicine or treatment to prevent disease;" meaning "condom" is from 1943, replacing earlier preventive (1822). Condoms originally were used more to prevent the spread of disease than pregnancy.
vegetable (adj.): c.1400, "living and growing as a plant," from O.Fr. vegetable "living, fit to live," from M.L. vegetabilis "growing, flourishing," from L.L. vegetabilis "animating, enlivening," from L. vegetare "to enliven," from vegetus "vigorous, active," from vegere "to be alive, active, to quicken," from PIE *weg- "be strong, lively," related to watch (v.), vigor, velocity, and possibly witch (see vigil). The meaning "resembling that of a vegetable, dull, uneventful" is attested from 1854 (see vegetable (n.)).