protector

American  

[pruh-tek-ter] / prəˈtɛk tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that protects; defender; guardian.

2. English History.

   1. a person in charge of the kingdom during the sovereign's minority, incapacity, or absence.

   2. Also called Lord Protector.  (initial capital letter) the title of the head of the government during the period of the Protectorate, held by Oliver Cromwell (1653–58) and by Richard Cromwell, his son (1658–59).

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protector ¹ British  

/ prəˈtɛktə /

noun

1. a person or thing that protects

2. history a person who exercised royal authority during the minority, absence, or incapacity of the monarch

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Protector ² British  

/ prəˈtɛktə /

noun

1. short for Lord Protector, the title borne by Oliver Cromwell (1653–58) and by Richard Cromwell (1658–59) as heads of state during the period known as the Protectorate

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Other Word Forms

• protectoral adjective
• protectorless adjective
• protectorship noun
• protectress noun
• subprotector noun
• subprotectorship noun

Etymology

Origin of protector

1325–75; < Late Latin ( protect, -tor ); replacing Middle English protectour < Middle French

Example Sentences

We’d delivered Abraham Lincoln safely to Washington and into the history books as the protector of the Union.

From Literature

It was on the ship that we got one of the defining pictures of the whole operation - Maduro in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold that looked like dark sunglasses.

From BBC

"Thanks to his many protectors, he died peacefully of natural causes."

From BBC

“That target, moving around with a chest protector on and a hand mitt, is me.”

From Los Angeles Times

French film legend Brigitte Bardot, a cinema icon of the 1950s and sixties who walked away from global stardom to become an animal rights protector, has died aged 91, her foundation said Sunday.

From Barron's

Related Words

• benefactor
• bulwark
• defender
• partisan
• patron
• savior