protector
Americannoun
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a person or thing that protects; defender; guardian.
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English History.
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a person in charge of the kingdom during the sovereign's minority, incapacity, or absence.
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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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noun
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a person or thing that protects
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history a person who exercised royal authority during the minority, absence, or incapacity of the monarch
noun
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.