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Glite Dictionary
midwatch

midwatch

1 9.6
A night shift on a ship between midnight and four in the morning
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪdˌwɑtʃ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : guardia de medianoche
  • Landfall had been seven seconds shy of three A.M., but all that meant to her was 02:59:53, three-quarters through the Midwatch.
  • the last midwatch

Examples

  • -Listen, we were on midwatch-

    Training Day (2001)

  • The sailors took turns on the midwatch to ensure the ship was safe during the quiet hours of the night.

  • It was halfway through the midwatch.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • And last midwatch, the Archipelago Packet came down from Freeport.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • -Okay, Debbie, midwatch.

    Training Day (2001)

  • During the midwatch, the crew had to stay alert for any signs of trouble.

  • He enjoyed the solitude of the midwatch, which allowed him to think and reflect on the journey.

Synonyms

night shift
vsmidwatch
52 2.1

Work that happens during the night or the people who do it

is narrower and naval limited to midnight through four am on ships
night watch
vsmidwatch
4 4.7

A time when people guard a place at night

is more specific naming only the midnight to four am naval duty
middle watch
vsmidwatch
  • Specialized
9.5

The time on a ship from midnight to four in the morning when crew are on duty

is the identical ship duty but called by a different traditional name
graveyard watch
vsmidwatch
  • Jargon
7.4

A late-night work shift from midnight to early morning on ships or in factories

is shorter and limited to midnight through four am

How Late

midwatch
  • Specialized
1 9.6
night watch
4 4.7
day watch
1 3.7

Surface Forms

midwatch singular
midwatches plural

Morphology

midwatch = mid + watch (transparent) = mid + watch

The meaning is a straightforward compound of 'mid' (middle) and 'watch' (a period of duty), so the sense is directly inferable from its parts.

Etymology

The word midwatch comes from mid- meaning 'middle' and watch meaning 'a period of duty' or 'keeping guard', so it names the watch in the middle of the night and still means the night shift on a ship.