1.
watchtower; observation tower; guard tower
a tall structure used for surveillance, observation, or guarding an area
国境に監視塔が建っている。
A watchtower stands at the border.
刑務所の四隅に監視塔が設置されている。
Guard towers are placed at the four corners of the prison.
ベルリンの壁の跡地には、かつての監視塔が歴史的な記念物として保存されている。
At the site of the former Berlin Wall, old watchtowers are preserved as historical monuments.
Composed of 監視 (surveillance; monitoring) + 塔 (tower). Refers to towers used for military, security, or correctional purposes. In historical contexts, watchtowers were used for border defense and fire detection.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 監視塔を設置する: to install a watchtower
- 監視塔から見張る: to keep watch from a watchtower
- 監視塔の兵士: soldier in the watchtower
- 監視塔に登る: to climb a watchtower
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 見張り台: lookout platform — a simpler, smaller observation point
- 展望台: observation deck; viewing platform — for sightseeing, not security
- 物見やぐら: watchtower (traditional style) — a historical Japanese term for a wooden watchtower used in castles