Sentry: A Common Word With No Certain Past
A sentry is a soldier standing guard. Dictionaries can trace most words confidently, but this one has no agreed origin.
A sentry is a soldier posted to keep watch. The word appears in English around 1610 and nobody is sure where it came from. It may be a clipping of *sentinel*, or a development of *sanctuary* in the sense of a guarded place. Etymologists mark it uncertain and leave it there. Most everyday words have a clean line back; this one is a reminder that some do not.
- A guard on duty. *The sentry challenged them.*
- Sentry box — the small shelter for a sentry. *A striped sentry box.*
- Sentry duty — the shift itself. *Two hours of sentry duty.*
- Stand sentry — to keep watch. *He stood sentry all night.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | sentry | A lone sentry. |
| Plural | sentries | Sentries at the gate. |
| Compound | sentry box | An empty sentry box. |
| Related | sentinel | A silent sentinel. |
| Related | guard | The palace guard. |
- A sentry stood at each end of the bridge.Military.
- The dog kept sentry by the door.Figurative.
- He was posted on sentry duty overnight.Fixed phrase.
Other English words of unknown origin
- Dog — no convincing relatives in any other language
- Boy — origin disputed for centuries
- Big — appears suddenly in the 1300s
- Bad — no agreed source
- Sentry — probably from sentinel or sanctuary, but no one can prove it
First recorded in the 1610s, origin uncertain. The two leading suggestions are a shortening of *sentinel* and a shift in meaning from *sanctuary*, a place of protection.
What is the difference between sentry and sentinel?
Very little in meaning. Sentinel is the older and more literary word; sentry is the ordinary military one.
Do dictionaries really say origin unknown?
Yes, and often. Dog, boy and bad are all common English words with no agreed etymology.