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 a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...

, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, 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 CPR/ AED first a ...

, 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, 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.) from a variety ...

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

Computing and telecommunications

* Guard (computer science), in programming language, an expression that directs program execution * Guard (information security), a device for controlling communication between computer networks * Guard interval, intervals in transmission, used in telecommunications * Aircraft emergency frequency, commonly referred to as "guard"

Governmental and military

* Border guard, a state security agency * Coast guard, 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 * Garda Síochána, Irish police force informally known as Guards * Guard of honour, primarily ceremonial * Guards (Russia), elite military in pre-revolutionary Russia * Guards unit, a title earned by distinguished units in the former Soviet Union and in some contemporary ex-Soviet states * Police 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), a player between the center and the tackles on the offensive line * Guard (basketball) ** Point guard, or "playmaker" ** Shooting guard, or "off guard" ** Combo guard, combining both point and shooting guard * Guard (grappling), a position in martial arts * Color guard (flag spinning), people who toss flags, spin a rifle and a saber at performances with a marching band * Winter guard, people who spin and toss flags, rifles, and/or sabers at indoor performances on a tarp

Other uses

* Guard (surname) * Guards (band), an American rock band * Guards (steamboat) * Guard (weapon), part of the handle of a sword designed to stop the user's hand from slipping onto the blade * Guard dogs, guard llamas and guard goose, guard geese, animals employed to watch for unwanted or unexpected animals or people * Abdominal guarding, in medicine, the tensing of the abdominal wall muscles to guard inflamed organs * Mate guarding, guarding of a potential or former mate from other individuals * Mouthguard, a protective device for the mouth * Wächter (Anatol), ''Wächter'' (Anatol) (''Guards''), several monumental sculptures by Anatol Herzfeld

Professional occupations

Computing and telecommunications

Governmental and military

Sports

Other uses

See also