watchword

Noun

US[wahch-wurd]/ˈwɑtʃˌwɝd/2 syllables

Synonyms: war cry rallying cry battle cry cry password word parole countersign

Open English WordNet

Noun (2)

a slogan used to rally support for a cause“a cry to arms”“our watchword will be ‘democracy’”Synonyms: war cry rallying cry battle cry cryType of motto, slogan
a secret word or phrase known only to a restricted group“he forgot the password”Synonyms: password word parole countersignType of positive identification, secret

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mundaneadjective

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Watch′word′ noun

1. A word given to sentinels, and to such as have occasion to visit the guards, used as a signal by which a friend is known from an enemy, or a person who has a right to pass the watch from one who has not; a countersign; a password.

2. A sentiment or motto; esp., one used as a rallying cry or a signal for action.

Nor deal in watchwords overmuch.— Alfred Tennyson

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54