מִשְׁמָר

מִשְׁמָרm. (b. h.; שָׁמַר) 1) guard, esp. a division for duty of priests and Levites. Taan. IV, 2, v. מַעֲמָד. Hor.13a ראש מ׳ chief of the guard. Taan. l. c. ישראל שבאותו מ׳ the Israelites attached (as מַעֲמָד) to that division; a. fr.Pl. מִשְׁמָרוֹת. Ib. Num. R. s. 3; a. fr. 2) (= אַשְׁמוֹרֶת) watch, a certain portion of the day or the night. Ber.3a על כל מ׳ ומ׳ at the beginning of every watch.Pl. as ab. Ib.; Tosef. ib. I, 1 שלש מ׳ בלילה the night is divided into three watches.