protect

[ pruh-tekt ]
/ prəˈtɛkt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR protect ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.
Economics. to guard (the industry or an industry of a nation) from foreign competition by imposing import duties.
to provide funds for the payment of (a draft, note, etc.).

verb (used without object)

to provide, or be capable of providing, protection: a floor wax that protects as well as shines.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of protect

1520–30; < Latin prōtēctus, past participle of prōtegere to cover in front, equivalent to prō- pro-1 + teg-, stem of tegere to cover (akin to toga, thatch) + -tus past participle suffix

synonym study for protect

1. See defend.

OTHER WORDS FROM protect

Words nearby protect

protean, proteas, protease, protease inhibitor, protease inhibitors, protect, protectant, protected sex, protectee, protecter, protecting
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to protect

preserve, safeguard, shield, shelter, defend, cover, insulate, conserve, assure, secure, cushion, save, support, keep, fend, champion, bulwark, harbor, screen, watch

Example sentences from the Web for protect

British Dictionary definitions for protect

protect
/ (prəˈtɛkt) /

verb (tr)

to defend from trouble, harm, attack, etc
economics to assist (domestic industries) by the imposition of protective tariffs on imports
commerce to provide funds in advance to guarantee payment of (a note, draft, etc)

Word Origin for protect

C16: from Latin prōtegere to cover before, from pro- 1 + tegere to cover
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012