Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Exercising surveillance.
  • noun One that exercises surveillance.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Keeping watch over another or others; overseeing; observant; watchful.
  • noun One who keeps watch over another; a supervisor or overseer; also, a spy.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Overseeing; watchful.
  • noun One who watches over another; an overseer; a spy; a supervisor.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective overseeing; watchful

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, present participle of surveiller, to watch over : sur-, over (from Old French; see sur–) + veiller, to watch (from Old French veillier, from Latin vigilāre, from vigil, watchful; see weg- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French

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Examples

  • It was almost as if his surveillant had read his mind today.

    A Flag Full of Stars Brad Ferguson 2000

  • He made the acquaintance there of La Provostaye who was at the time a surveillant and who became his lifelong friend and his associate in his researches.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 4: Clandestinity-Diocesan Chancery 1840-1916 1913

  • "You will be the only lady, not the wife or daughter of an official of the place, who has ever entered at this gate, mademoiselle," he remarked as the key of the surveillant grated in the lock.

    The Castle Of The Shadows 1901

  • Que fit le surveillant général lorsque je lui fus présenté?

    Le Petit Chose (part 1) Histoire d'un Enfant Alphonse Daudet 1868

  • M.ssieurs, leur dit le surveillant général en me désignant, voici M. Daniel Eyssette, votre nouveau collègue.

    Le Petit Chose (part 1) Histoire d'un Enfant Alphonse Daudet 1868

  • Adaptiv uses the reliance on thermals in the battlefield against adversaries by manipulating these hot and cold readings to deceive the surveillant.

    FOXNews.com foxnewsonline@foxnews.com 2011

  • Britain is a world leader in CCTV cameras, keeping a policing and surveillant eye on its public.

    Blogging Change 2009

  • A new Obama administration would be a timely opportunity to re-examine some of the surveillant practices of the last few years, and in particular the clandestine surveillance on Americans performed by the government (warrantless wiretapping). one in the New York Times by Eric Lichblau and James Risen (who broke the warrantless wiretapping story in 2005, forcing the Bush administration to admit it was breaking the law) and one at

    Foucault blog 2008

  • a dozen of the eldest succeeded in obtaining leave, and I was commissioned to accompany them as surveillant.

    The Professor, by Charlotte Bronte 2006

  • Un instance énonciatif muet, sans corporalité, sans réactions, totalement neutre, mais surveillant et dont le rôle principale semble a être d’écouter la parole de la dépression.

    SARAH KANE: LA PAROLE QUI TUE, LA PAROLE QUI AFFECTE 2007

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