English Dictionary

Definition of “warder”

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^¹warder¹ (ˈwɔːdə) or (feminine) wardress

Definitions

noun

mainly British an officer in charge of prisoners in a jail
a person who guards or has charge of something

Alternative Forms

ˈwardership noun

Word Origin

C14: from Anglo-French wardere, from Old French warder to guard, of Germanic origin

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry

= jailer, guard, screw, warden, prison officer, keeper, captor, custodian, turnkey, gaoler,

^²warder² (ˈwɔːdə)

Definitions

noun

(formerly) a staff or truncheon carried by a ruler as an emblem of authority and used to signal his wishes or intentions

Word Origin

C15: perhaps from Middle English warden to ward

Usage examples

Chryssa was led to the gate by the young warder who had given her a cigarette; he was depressed and cold now.
Harvey, John, Coup d'Etat (1986)
Whopping, frugging and hopping, one particularly exuberent rooster strafes the audience with his torch like a prison warder.
NME (New Musical Express) (2003)
One person I know, an ordinary warder eking out a living, joined Popcru and his life changed.
SA Star (2005)
One warder at Lincoln said Archer was in for a "massive shock".
Sun, News of the World (2002)
We found Alexander Lovegrove, the prison warder who spent two months
Frost, David, David Frost-An Autobiography-Part One (1993)

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