Etimology
Attested in English since 1530, from Latin prōtēctus (“covered, protected”), past participle of prōtegere (“to cover the front, protect”) from prō, prō- (“before, in front of”) + tegere (“to cover”), see tegument. Displaced native Middle English shelden, from Old English sċildan (“to protect,” literally “to shield”).
verb
protect (third-person singular simple present protects, present participle protecting, simple past and past participle protected)
(transitive, intransitive) To keep safe; to defend; to guard; to prevent harm coming to.
(travel, aviation) To book a passenger on a later flight if there is a chance they will not be able to board their earlier reserved flight.
Examples
to protect a child from danger
This antivirus package will protect your computer from hackers.
Condoms are designed to protect against sexually-transmitted diseases.
But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.
Related words
synonyms
beshield
See also Thesaurus:defend