sentinel
part of speech
noun (a sentinel, sentinels)
meaning for a pupil
1) A soldier or guard whose job is to watch for danger; a sentry. tree →
2) Something that stands like a guard or watches over a place: a tree standing sentinel on a hill. tree →
3) (science, medicine) Something used to give early warning: a sentinel species (like canaries in coal mines) or a sentinel node. tree →
sense in the lessons
In history and stories, sentinels guard castle walls and gates. "Stand sentinel" means stand still and watch. In science, scientists use sentinel animals or plants to warn of pollution. Phrases: stand sentinel, keep sentinel, a lone sentinel.
examples
- A sentinel stood on the castle wall. tree →
- The old oak stood sentinel over the village. tree →
- The sentinel shouted a warning when he saw the enemy. tree →
- Canaries were once sentinels for gas in coal mines. tree →
- The lighthouse is a lonely sentinel by the sea. tree →
- Robots act as sentinels in the sci-fi film. tree →
- At each castle stood little princes acting as sentinels. tree →
note
Countable: a sentinel, sentinels. Similar: sentry, guard, lookout. "Sentinel" sounds more formal or poetic than "sentry".
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «sentinel» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.