Ward has several related meanings:

A ward is a person, usually a child, who is under the legal protection and care of someone who isn't their parent, called a guardian. If a child's parents can't care for them, a court might make the child a ward of their aunt and uncle, or even a ward of the state (meaning the government becomes responsible for their care). The guardian makes important decisions about the ward's life, like where they'll live and go to school. In classic novels like Jane Eyre, orphaned children often become wards of relatives or family friends.

The word also means a section or division of something larger. Hospitals divide their buildings into wards: separate areas for different types of patients, like the pediatric ward for children or the maternity ward for new mothers. Cities divide into wards too, with each ward electing its own representative to the city council. Your neighborhood might be in the Third Ward or the North Ward of your city.

As a verb, you might hear someone ward off danger, which means to push it away or defend against it. A hockey goalie wards off shots with quick reflexes, and someone might ward off a cold by getting enough sleep and eating well.