protect
/prəˈtɛkt
/verb [with object]
1Keep safe from harm or injury: he tried to protect Kelly from the attack [no object]: use a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB...
- She must accept the inevitable and protect against the greater harm.
- A number of acute-phase reactants protect against tissue injury in response to heat stress.
- I promised to protect you, all those years ago at the orphanage, and that's what I am doing right now.
Synonyms
keep safe, keep from harm, save, safeguard, shield, preserve, defend, cushion, shelter, screen, secure, fortify, guard, mount/stand guard on;
watch over, look after, take care of, care for, tend, keep, mind, afford protection to, harbour, house, hedge, inoculate, insulate
1.1 (often as adjective protected) Aim to preserve (a threatened species or area) by legislating against collecting, hunting, or development: the natterjack toad is a protected species logging is continuing in protected areas in violation of an international agreement...
- Many of the actions required are already within the scope of existing conventions concerned with wildlife conservation, insofar as they list marine species or marine protected areas on their annexes.
- Sadly all these developments are taking place in areas that were previously protected from any tourist development projects.
- The decision opens the previously protected areas to development.
Synonyms
secured, sheltered, in safe hands, safe, guarded, out of danger, safeguarded, preserved
1.2 Economics Shield (a domestic industry) from competition by imposing import duties on foreign goods: Japan’s Ministry of Trade & Industry erected barriers to protect the country’s infant computer industry...
- He said in this case it was the duty of the Government to set up safeguard measures to protect the domestic industry.
- The Republicans claimed that such interventions were necessary not only for financing government but also for protecting domestic industry and jobs.
- An attempt to protect domestic industry can do nothing to change this reality.
1.3 Computing Restrict access to or use of (data or a memory location): security products are designed to protect information from unauthorized access...
- It also protects information stored on memory cards.
- When you submit sensitive information via the Web site, your information is protected both online and off-line.
- Additionally, the company agreed not to misrepresent the extent to which it protects customer information from unauthorized access.
Derivatives
protectable
- In addition to assisting clients in protecting their intellectual property, it provides clients with audits, which identify protectable intellectual property within their business.
- Even TV listings, once treated as protectable by the Irish courts, may no longer qualify for legal protection.
- To do so, she would have to convince the judge of three things: first, that she had a protectable trademark; second, that consumers might confuse the brands; and third, that the company would suffer irreparable harm as a result.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Latin protect- 'covered in front', from the verb protegere, from pro- 'in front' + tegere 'to cover'.