- a soldier who guards or prevents unauthorized access to a place, keeps watch for danger, etc
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
sen•try /ˈsɛntri/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. -tries.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Militarya guard, esp., a soldier stationed to prevent someone from passing who is not allowed to do so.
sen•try
(sen′trē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -tries.
- Militarya soldier stationed at a place to stand guard and prevent the passage of unauthorized persons, watch for fires, etc., esp. a sentinel stationed at a pass, gate, opening in a defense work, or the like.
- a member of a guard or watch.
- short for sentrinel, variant of sentinel 1605–15
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
sentry /ˈsɛntrɪ/ n ( pl -tries)