water-guard
/ˈwɔːtəɡɑːd/noun
British. Originally: a guard deployed along the shoreline to prevent smuggling or other contravention of customs regulations. Later (usually with capital initial): a division of the Customs and Excise department, mainly responsible for the collection of customs and excise revenue from those arriving in the United Kingdom by sea or (later) by air; a member of this division (now historical ). Compare coast-guard. Now historical.
Origin
Mid 17th century; earliest use found in Original Journals of the House of Commons. From water + guard.
- head nurse
- head office
- head of hair
- head of house
- head of state
- head-on
- head (or cut) someone/thing off at the pass
- head over heels
- head penny
- headphone
- headpiece
- head-place
- head-plate
- headpost
- head pump
- headquarter
- headquarters
- head race
- headrail
- head-reach
- head register
- head rent
- head resistance
- headrest
- head restraint