Guard or guards may refer to:

Professional occupations

Bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an very important person, important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public offic ...

, who protects an individual from personal assault *

Crossing guard A crossing guard (North American English), lollipop man/lady/person (British, Irish, and Australian English), or school road patrol (New Zealand English) is a traffic management personnel who is normally stationed on busy roadways to aid pedest ...

, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street *

Lifeguard A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and Cardiopulmonary ...

, who rescues people from drowning * Prison guard, who supervises prisoners in a prison or jail *

Security guard A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, factory guard, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) ...

, who protects property, assets, or people * Conductor (rail) § Train guard, in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and India

Computing and telecommunications

Guard (computer science) In computer programming, a guard is a Boolean expression that must evaluate to true if the execution of the program is to continue in the branch in question. Regardless of which programming language is used, a guard clause, guard code, or guard ...

, in programming language, an expression that directs program execution * Guard (information security), a device for controlling communication between computer networks *

Guard interval In telecommunications Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication techno ...

, intervals in transmission, used in telecommunications *

Aircraft emergency frequency The aircraft emergency frequency (also known in the USA as Guard) is a frequency used on the aircraft band reserved for emergency communications for aircraft in distress. The frequencies are 121.5 MHz for civilian, also known as International A ...

, commonly referred to as "guard"

Governmental and military

Border guard A border guard of a country is a national security agency that ensures border security. Some of the national border guard agencies also perform coast guard (as in Germany, Italy or Ukraine) and rescue service duties. Name and uniform In diff ...

, a state security agency *

Coast guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...

, responsible for coastal defence and offshore rescue * Colour guard, a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of regimental colors * Commander-in-Chief's Guard, a unit of the Continental Army that protected General George Washington * Foot guards, a senior infantry unit in some armies, often with ceremonial duties * Guard (military), a military guard responsible for protection and ceremonial duties. *

Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace") is the national police and security service of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards". The service is headed by the Garda Commissio ...

, Irish police force informally known as Guards *

Guard of honour A guard of honour (Commonwealth English), honor guard (American English) or ceremonial guard, is a group of people, typically drawn from the military, appointed to perform ceremonial duties – for example, to receive or guard a head of state ...

, primarily ceremonial * Guards (Russia), elite military in pre-revolutionary Russia *

Guards unit Guards units () were elite units and formations in the Soviet Armed Forces that continue to exist in the Russian Armed Forces and other post-Soviet states. These units were awarded Guards status after distinguishing themselves in wartime service ...

, a title earned by distinguished units in the former Soviet Union and in some contemporary ex-Soviet states *

Police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

in medieval contexts * Royal Guard, military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, often an elite unit of the regular armed forces.

Sports

Guard (gridiron football) In American football, a guard (G), otherwise known as an offensive guard (OG), is an Lineman (gridiron football), offensive line player who lines up between the center (American football), center and the offensive tackle, tackles. Like other ...

, a player between the center and the tackles on the offensive line *

Guard (basketball) Basketball is a sport with five players on the court for each team at a time. Each player is assigned to different positions defined by the strategic role they play. Guard, forward and center are the three main position categories. The standard ...

Point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...

, or "playmaker" **

Shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...

, or "off guard" **

Combo guard A combo guard is a basketball player who combines the attributes of a point guard (1) and shooting guard (2), but does not necessarily fit the standard description of either position. In men's basketball, such guards are usually within the 6' 3" ...

, combining both point and shooting guard *

Guard (grappling) The guard is a ground grappling position in which one combatant has their back to the ground while attempting to control the other combatant using their legs. In pure grappling combat sports, the guard is considered an advantageous position, ...

, a position in martial arts *

Color guard (flag spinning) Color guards or flag corps are teams of performers who perform choreographed dances and routines with various equipment to enhance and interpret the music of a marching band or Drum and bugle corps (modern), drum and bugle corps show. Color guar ...

, people who toss flags, spin a rifle and a saber at performances with a marching band *

Winter guard Winter guard (sometimes spelled "winterguard") is an indoor Color guard (flag spinning), color guard sport and performance art derived from military ceremonies. Modern winter guard is a competitive, performance-based activity which incorporates c ...

, people who spin and toss flags, rifles, and/or sabers at indoor performances on a tarp

Other uses

Guard (surname) Guard is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Betty Guard (1814–1870), early New Zealand settler and wife of John Guard * Christopher Guard (born 1953), English actor * Dave Guard (1934–1991), American folk singer and songwrit ...

* Guards (band), an American rock band * Guards (steamboat) * Guard (weapon), part of the handle of a sword designed to protect the user's hand ** Guard (knife), finger protection barrier between the handle and the blade *

Guard dog A guard dog or watchdog is a dog used to watch for and guard people or property against unwanted human or animal intruders. A dog trained to attack intruders is known as an attack dog. History Dogs have been used as guardians since ancient ...

s, guard llamas and guard geese, animals employed to watch for unwanted or unexpected animals or people *

Abdominal guarding The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

, in medicine, the tensing of the abdominal wall muscles to guard inflamed organs *

Mate guarding Mate guarding is a reproductive behaviour, primarily of males, in an attempt to increase the likelihood of success of their own sperm fertilizing the eggs of females when competition is involved. Mate guarding behaviour can be pre- or post-copulat ...

, guarding of a potential or former mate from other individuals *

Mouthguard A mouthguard is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth and gums to prevent and reduce injury to the teeth, arches, lips and gums. An effective mouthguard is like a crash helmet for teeth and jaws. It also prevents the jaws c ...

, a protective device for the mouth * ''Wächter'' (Anatol) (''Guards''), several monumental sculptures by Anatol Herzfeld

Professional occupations

Computing and telecommunications

Governmental and military

Sports

Other uses

See also