pro·tect

(prə-tĕkt′)

tr.v. pro·tect·ed, pro·tect·ing, pro·tects

a. To keep from being damaged, attacked, stolen, or injured; guard. See Synonyms at defend.

b. To keep from being subjected to difficulty or unpleasantness: a mother who wanted to protect her children from the troubles she had seen when growing up.

c. To keep from being curtailed or exposed to risk: The reporter vowed to protect the privacy of his sources.

2. To help (domestic industry) with tariffs or quotas on imported goods.

3. To assure payment of (drafts or notes, for example) by setting aside funds.

4. Sports To attempt to hold (a lead) by playing careful defense and avoiding risky plays.

5. Baseball

a. To swing at a pitch near (home plate) in order to avoid being called out on strikes.

b. To swing at a pitch so as to give (a base runner) a better chance of advancing.

[Middle English protecten, from Latin prōtegere, prōtēct- : prō-, in front; see pro-¹ + tegere, to cover; see (s)teg- in Indo-European roots.]

pro·tect′ing·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.

protecting - shielding (or designed to shield) against harm or discomfort; "the protecting blanket of snow"; "a protecting alibi"

protective - intended or adapted to afford protection of some kind; "a protective covering"; "the use of protective masks and equipment"; "protective coatings"; "kept the drunken sailor in protective custody"; "animals with protective coloring"; "protective tariffs"

Translations

protettivo protettore

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Pierre answered that he "was protecting a woman," and that "to protect a woman who was being insulted was the duty of every man; that..." They interrupted him, for this was not to the point.

View in context

I was merely protecting myself from the pain of witnessing what it would hurt me to witness.

View in context

In the windows at the vacant end of the room stood six or eight, narrow-bladed swords with large protecting guards for the hand, and outside was a man at work sharpening others on a grindstone.

They all seemed to tell; the swords always bent over the opponents' heads, from the forehead back over the crown, and seemed to touch, all the way; but it was not so--a protecting blade, invisible to me, was always interposed between.

View in context

Instead she was a lioness, watching over and protecting her sick mate.

View in context

My heart, believe me, is able to appraise at its true worth all that you have done for me by protecting me from my enemies, and from hatred and persecution.

View in context

For what sinister purpose could this savage enemy be protecting her from the other denizens of his cruel jungle?

Before I leave you I will give you the means of protecting yourself against them should one of them chance to turn upon you.

View in context

Moreover, in the face of climate change's biggest threats, protecting and conserving the country's natural defense against calamities, they added, enhances the community's chances of survival especially in areas that are prone to disasters.

Strengthening the management of protected areas in Philippines

Originally developed for protecting aircraft during restoration work, All-Protect can be used on a variety of materials.

All-New Surface Protection Product, All-Protect, Now Distributed by Builders Site Protection

The last decade has seen remarkable progress in protecting the world's oceans.

World on track to meet a major global conservation target