watchdog

/ˈwɑtʃˌdɔɡ/
verb
  1. To monitor or supervise closely, especially to prevent problems or wrongdoing.
    • The committee will watchdog the spending of the grant money.
    • Parents should watchdog their children's online activities.
    • Journalists watchdog the government to keep it accountable.
noun
  1. A dog trained to guard property or people.
    • A good watchdog is loyal and alert, protecting the family at night.
    • The farmer kept a watchdog in the barn to scare off thieves.
    • Their watchdog barked loudly whenever a stranger approached the gate.
  2. A person or organization that monitors and reports on the activities of others, especially to prevent illegal or unethical behavior.
    • She works as a watchdog for the environmental protection agency.
    • The consumer watchdog group exposed the company's false advertising.
    • Government watchdogs investigate corruption in public agencies.
What does "watchdog" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean