sentinel Definition
- 1a soldier or guard whose job is to stand and keep watch
- 2a person or thing that watches or stands as if watching
Using sentinel: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "sentinel" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The sentinel stood guard at the entrance of the castle.
Example
The lighthouse serves as a sentinel for ships entering the harbor.
Example
The dog acted as a sentinel, barking at any strangers who approached the house.
sentinel Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using sentinel
Example
As a parent, it's important to keep a sentinel's watch over your children.
stand sentinel
to act as a guard or watchman
Example
The soldiers took turns standing sentinel throughout the night.
a bird of prey, such as a hawk or eagle, that soars high above and watches over a particular area
Example
The red-tailed hawk is a sentinel in the sky, keeping watch over the fields below.
Phrases with sentinel
an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk thereof
Example
The hospital reported a sentinel event when a patient was given the wrong medication.
sentinel species
a species whose presence, absence, or abundance in a particular ecosystem indicates the overall health of the ecosystem
Example
The bald eagle is a sentinel species for the health of aquatic ecosystems.
the first lymph node to which cancer cells are most likely to spread from a primary tumor
Example
The surgeon removed the sentinel lymph node to determine if the cancer had spread.
Origins of sentinel
from Old French 'sentinelle', from 'sentir' meaning 'to feel'
Summary: sentinel in Brief
A 'sentinel' [ˈsɛntɪn(ə)l] is a soldier or guard whose job is to keep watch, or a person or thing that watches or stands as if watching. It can refer to people, animals, or even concepts like sentinel events. Phrases like 'keep a sentinel's watch' and 'stand sentinel' denote vigilance and watchfulness, while 'sentinel in the sky' refers to birds of prey that watch over an area from above.