Guet

Guet is a term with multiple uses across languages and cultures. In French, guet is a noun meaning a lookout, watch, or vigil. It derives from the verb guetter, meaning to keep watch or lie in wait. The noun is often used in expressions related to surveillance or ambush, such as guet-apens (an ambush) and être au guet (to be on the lookout). The sense emphasizes vigilance, concealment, and anticipation of an event, typically for protective or strategic purposes.

Beyond its French sense, guet appears as a surname and in toponyms in francophone and multilingual regions. As a surname, it may be found in genealogical records and family name registries, though occurrences are relatively uncommon. As a place name, variants of guet may occur in small villages or geographic features where a lookout point was historically significant.

In other languages, guet may appear as a loanword or in compound terms, but its primary recognition is as a French lexical item. There is no single canonical definition of guet that covers all uses; instead, it is best understood in context, especially in literature, historical texts, and proper names.

See also: guetter, guetteur, guet-apens.