protect
[verb]
Synonyms: keep safe, defend, guard, look after, preserve, safeguard, save, screen, shelter, shield, stick up for (informal), support, watch over

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Related Words: conserve, preserve, save, harbor, shelter

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English Thesaurus: port, harbour, dock, pier, jetty, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

pro‧tect S2 W2 /prəˈtekt/ verb
[Word Family: noun: protection, protector, protectionism, protectionist, protectiveness, protectorate; adjective: protected ≠ unprotected, protective, protectionist; verb: protect; adverb: protectively]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: past participle of protegere, from tegere 'to cover']

1. [intransitive and transitive] to keep someone or something safe from harm, damage, or illness ⇒ protection, protective:
Are we doing enough to protect the environment?
protect somebody/something from something
The cover protects the machine from dust.
protect somebody/something against something
Physical exercise can protect you against heart disease.
protect against
Waxing your car will help protect against rust.

2. [transitive usually passive] if an insurance company protects your home, car, life etc, it agrees to pay you money if things are stolen or damaged or you are hurt or killed Synonym : cover:
Unemployment insurance means that you are partially protected if you lose your job.

3. [transitive] to help the industry and trade of your own country by taxing or restricting foreign goods

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

protect
verb
ADV. fully | adequately, properly, suitably | inadequately | carefully | effectively, successfully | jealously, rigorously a star who jealously protects her right to privacy
VERB + PROTECT need to | seek to, strive to, try to | act to, fight to Each company is fighting to protect its own commercial interests.
take steps to We must take steps to protect the UK as a manufacturing base.
help (to) | serve to | be designed to
PREP. against a cream that helps to protect your skin against the sun
from The new measures are designed to protect the public from people like these.
with Protect the exposed areas of wood with varnish.
PHRASES be aimed at protecting sth, a desire/duty/need to protect sb/sth He felt it was his duty to protect the child.
heavily/highly protected The Far Eastern markets are heavily protected (= with high taxes for imported goods).
legally/officially/specially protected Many of these sites?of immense scientific interest?are not legally protected.
measures to protect sb/sth, poorly/well protected Keep the camera well protected at all times.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

port noun [uncountable and countable] a place where ships can be loaded and unloaded:
a busy port
We’ll have two days ashore while the ship is in port.
The ferry was about to leave port.
harbour British English, harbor American English noun [countable] an area of water next to the land which is protected by walls so the water is calm, and is a place where ships can stay when they are not sailing:
They sailed into Portsmouth Harbour
Tourist boats leave the harbour at Riva regularly.
the harbour wall
dock [uncountable and countable] a place in a port where ships are loaded, unloaded, or repaired:
A crowd was waiting at the dock to greet them.
The ship was in dock for repairs.
pier a structure that is built over and into the water so that boats can stop next to it or people can walk along it:
The yacht was moored at a pier.
jetty noun [countable] a wall or platform built out into the water, used for getting on and off boats:
a wooden jetty
The house has a private jetty.
mooring noun [countable] the place where a ship or boat is fastened to the land or to the bottom of the sea:
Tugs towed the boat away from its mooring at White Bay.
marina noun [countable] a harbour where people keep boats which are used for pleasure:
They are building a new 220-berth marina.
The apartments have a private marina.
protect to keep someone or something safe from harm, damage, or illness:
Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.
The government wants to protect the environment.
Eating healthily helps to protect against many diseases.
give/offer/provide protection to protect someone from something harmful:
Wearing a hat offers some protection from the sun.
The drug can give protection against cancer.
The law provides no protection.
guard to protect a person, place, or object by staying near them and watching them:
Police officers guarded the entrance to the building.
He is guarded by armed men.
save to protect someone or something when they are in danger of being harmed or destroyed:
Local people are fighting to save the theatre from demolition.
Emergency aid could save millions of people who are threatened with starvation.
preserve to keep something, especially buildings or the environment, from being harmed, destroyed, or changed too much:
The organization works to preserve forests.
There is little money for preserving historic buildings.
safeguard to protect something important, such as people’s rights, interests, jobs, health etc:
The deal will safeguard 200 jobs at the factory.
Laws should do more to safeguard the rights of victims.
shield to put something in front of something else to protect it. Also used to talk about protecting people from unpleasant situations:
He lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the light.
They thought the public should be shielded from the truth.
shelter to provide a place where someone or something is protected from the weather or from danger:
The village is sheltered by a belt of trees.
His family had sheltered Jews during the war.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

protect to keep someone or something safe from harm, damage, or illness:
Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.
The government wants to protect the environment.
Eating healthily helps to protect against many diseases.
give/offer/provide protection to protect someone from something harmful:
Wearing a hat offers some protection from the sun.
The drug can give protection against cancer.
The law provides no protection.
guard to protect a person, place, or object by staying near them and watching them:
Police officers guarded the entrance to the building.
He is guarded by armed men.
save to protect someone or something when they are in danger of being harmed or destroyed:
Local people are fighting to save the theatre from demolition.
Emergency aid could save millions of people who are threatened with starvation.
preserve to keep something, especially buildings or the environment, from being harmed, destroyed, or changed too much:
The organization works to preserve forests.
There is little money for preserving historic buildings.
safeguard to protect something important, such as people’s rights, interests, jobs, health etc:
The deal will safeguard 200 jobs at the factory.
Laws should do more to safeguard the rights of victims.
shield to put something in front of something else to protect it. Also used to talk about protecting people from unpleasant situations:
He lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the light.
They thought the public should be shielded from the truth.
shelter to provide a place where someone or something is protected from the weather or from danger:
The village is sheltered by a belt of trees.
His family had sheltered Jews during the war.
harbour British English, harbor American English to help and protect someone who has done something illegal, and prevent the police from finding them:
He is accused of harbouring suspected terrorists.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲