sentry

noun

sen·​try ˈsen-trē How to pronounce sentry (audio)
plural sentries
: guard, watch
especially : a soldier standing guard at a point of passage (such as a gate)

Examples of sentry in a Sentence

The general placed an armed sentry at the bridge. a sentry posted to watch for intruders
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The tree had long been a way marker and memory maker: a site of wedding proposals and remembrance ceremonies, a sentry in photos from one-in-a-lifetime family vacations, taped to fridges across the world. Amelia Nierenberg, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025 Anduril makes everything from small drones to sentry towers used to police the U.S.-Mexico border systems to enable pilotless vehicles. William Hartung, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024 Occasionally, gang members would come rushing in and that’s when auto sentry guns would be useful. Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025 One such ancient story centers on the bronze sentry Talos. Sofia Giannuzzi, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sentry

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from obsolete sentry sanctuary, watchtower

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sentry was in 1608

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sentry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentry. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

sentry

noun
sen·​try ˈsen-trē How to pronounce sentry (audio)
plural sentries
: guard entry 1 sense 3a
especially : a soldier standing guard at a point of passage

More from Merriam-Webster on sentry

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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