(a) A guardian, protector, defender; a rescuer, preserver; also fig. and in fig. context; also, a heavenly patron; a guardian angel; (b) one who is responsible for guarding, safeguarding, or attending someone or something [sometimes difficult to distinguish from (a) and vice versa]; a keeper, custodian; also in fig. context; also, a watchman, sentinel; (c) a tender of crops, livestock, etc., a husbandman; a herder; also, a beekeeper [quot. a1398, 1st]; (d) one who has guardianship of a child, minor, or other ward, often with the right to control the ward’s properties during the guardianship; also, one who is placed in charge of young persons, a young wife, etc.; also, fig. a restraint, hindrance [quot. c1395]; (e) a custodian or caretaker of a church building, part of a church, etc.; (f) one who has custody of an arrested, captured, or confined person; a jailer, prison guard; also in fig. context; also, the chief officer of a prison.

(a) One who is in charge of a castle, a city, an industry, etc.; a chief officer, master, an overseer; a city official with authority similar to that of a mayor; a governor, viceroy, regent; also, the referee of a wrestling match [quot. c1410]; ~ court, a court held under the jurisdiction of a warden of the Marches; ~ mot, a meeting of the citizens of a city, perh. one presided over by a city official; ~ of the (five) portes, etc., the chief administrative official of the Cinque Ports; ~ of the marches, a military, judicial, or administrative official of a border region; ~ of the stannaries, a judicial or administrative official of a region containing tin mines; ~ treue, a monitored truce, prob. one overseen by a warden of the Marches; (b) the head of an establishment of friars; also, the head of a chapter of canons in a collegiate church, a dean; also in fig. context [1st quot.]; ?also, the prior or abbot of a monastic house [quot. a1500(a1415)]; (c) the chief official of a college of students and scholars, a master; (d) the commander of a body of troops.

(a) An officer of a craft or mercantile guild, in charge of inspecting the workmanship and materials of goods, enforcing regulations, overseeing transactions, etc.; also, an administrative officer of a religious society or fraternal organization [quot. 1389, 2nd]; ~ leiere, ?the warden of a guild of masons; (b) one of the officers of a parish, elected from the congregation, in charge of managing certain financial affairs of the parish, overseeing the fabric and ornaments of the parish church, etc.; chirche ~ [see also chirche-wardein n.]; (c) in Coventry, a city official authorized to collect rents owed on city-owned property; (d) an officer of an ecclesiastical court, prob. an archdeacon.

As surname.