שׁוֹמֵר, watchman, guard, keeper. Y. Taan. I, 64ᵃ top (expl. Is. XXI, 11) מה מילל ש׳ העולמים what did the keeper of the world say? Lev. R. s. 36 מה גפן זו הש׳ שלה עומד למעלה וֹכ׳ as the guard of the grape vine (vineyard) stands high (in the שׁוֹמֵרָה), so is Israel’s guard above. Ḥag. 15ᵇ אפי׳ ש׳ הפתח וכ׳ even the gate-keeper (of Gehenna) could not stand before thee; a. fr.—Esp. one in whose charge an object is given, bailee, ש׳ חנם an unpaid bailee; ש׳ שכר a paid trustee. B. Mets. 93ᵇ; a. fr.—[Shebu. VIII, 1; B. Mets. VII, 8 נושא שכר, sub. שומר].—Trnsf. that part of a plant or of a body which serves as a protection (e.g. leaves, skin). Ber. 36ᵇ היכא אמרינן דנעשה ש׳ לפירי וכ׳ we call a part of a plant a guard of the fruit only, if the plant dies when the guard is removed. Ukts. I, 1. Ḥull. 119ᵇ בשדרה משום ש׳ it refers to the stem of an ear, and because it is ‘a guard’; a. fr.—Pl. שׁוֹמְרִים, שׁוֹמְרִין. B. Mets. l. c. שׁוֹמְרֵי פירות וכ׳ watchmen of fruits may eat (of them) by local usage, but not by Biblical law. Ib.; Shebu. l. c. ארבעה ש׳ הן וכ׳ these are four classes of bailees. Ib. 49ᵇ שבועת ש׳ the oath required of bailees (Ex. XXII, 9 sq.); a. fr.