English → Latin
“watch-word” in Latin
tesseratessera; a die with six faces and pips, alike modern-day ones; watchwordsignumvisible indication: sign, mark, signal; seal, signet; emblem, ensign
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
watch-word
tessera (tablet on which the watch-word stands; then watch-word itself): signum (the sign, the watch-word itself, Caes., B.G., 2, 20; Tac., Ann., 1, 7, 3; ☞ Silius, Ital., 15, 475, tacitum dat tessera signum). To give the watch-word, tesseram, signum dare (to anybody, alicui. ☞ Not significationem facere, which, in Caes., B.C., 3, 65, with fumo, as B.G., 2, 33, with ignibus, is = to give a signal): (figuratively) to give the watch-word for anything, facem ac tubam esse alicujus rei; facem praeferre alicui (e.g., for war, sedition): to be the watch-word to or for anything, signum esse aliquid faciendi.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for watch-word?
- The usual Latin words for “watch-word” are tessera, signum. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.