Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To keep from being damaged, attacked, stolen, or injured; guard. synonym: defend.
- transitive verb To keep from being subjected to difficulty or unpleasantness.
- transitive verb To keep from being curtailed or exposed to risk.
- transitive verb To help (domestic industry) with tariffs or quotas on imported goods.
- transitive verb To assure payment of (drafts or notes, for example) by setting aside funds.
- transitive verb Sports To attempt to hold (a lead) by playing careful defense and avoiding risky plays.
- transitive verb To swing at a pitch near (home plate) in order to avoid being called out on strikes.
- transitive verb To swing at a pitch so as to give (a base runner) a better chance of advancing.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To cover or shield from danger, harm, damage, trespass, exposure, insult, temptation, or the like; defend; guard; preserve in safety: applied with a wide range, both literally and figuratively, actively and passively.
- To act as protector or regent for. Compare
protector , 2 . - Specifically, in political economics, to guard or strengthen against foreign competition by means of a protective duty.
- Synonyms Defend, Shelter, etc. (see
keep ), screen, secure.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To cover or shield from danger or injury; to defend; to guard; to preserve in safety.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To
keep safe ; todefend ; toguard ; toprevent harm coming to.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage
- verb use tariffs to favor domestic industry
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
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Examples
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I say "it is all about protecting the book" ..protect the books = protect the people
Carlos Ruiz Zafon: The Shadow of the Wind Michael Allen 2005
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Executives under Ms. Robinson used the phrase "protect and grow" to describe their approach, often to the irritation of digital-side employees who have said the emphasis on protecting the Times too often stunted growth elsewhere.
Digital Strategy Undid New York Times CEO Russell Adams 2011
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Finally, asked why his family hasn't appeared with him on the campaign trail, including his wife and adult children, Cain repeats that he is "an unconventional candidate" and wants to protect his family although he doesn't use the word "protect".
Herman Cain: first appearances after sexual harassment allegations – live 2011
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The only way to protect is to plan in advance; using super redundant and resilient systems.
The Volokh Conspiracy » If you like the BP spill, you’ll love cyberwar 2010
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"Which is why Google executives used the word 'protect' at least six times while explaining the deal this morning."
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"Which is why Google executives used the word 'protect' at least six times while explaining the deal this morning."
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What are the parents of these kids that the 'state must protect from the industry'?
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At a beach house on the patio facing the ocean in a nice luxurious massage chair with a slide in table for my laptop with shades and coverage to protect from the sun.
Angels' Pawn is out! Psst...something cool in the post [Edited] Nalini Singh 2009
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The minority that they want to protect is the minority of the super wealthy.
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The barrage was built in 1974-75 and an agreement to protect from the unilateral withdrawal of water by India took 20 years of diplomatic efforts.
Global Voices in English » Bangladesh, India: Tipaimukh Dam And Transparency 2009
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