protection

From Middle English, from Old French, from stem of Late Latin prōtectiō (“a covering over”), from Latin prōtēctus, perfect passive participle of prōtegere (“to protect, cover in front”). Displaced native Old English ġesċildnes.

• IPA^(key): /pɹəˈtɛkʃən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pro‧tec‧tion
• Rhymes: -ɛkʃən

protection (countable and uncountable, plural protections)

1. The process of keeping (something or someone) safe.

   Raincoats give protection from rain.

   • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:

     But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window […].

2. The state of being safe.
3. A means of keeping or remaining safe.
4. A means, such as a condom, of preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease.
5. (insurance) Coverage.
6. Immunity from harm, obtained by illegal payments, as bribery or extortion.
7. (obsolete) A document serving as a guarantee against harm or interference; a passport.
8. (economics) Restrictions on foreign competitors which limit their ability to compete with domestic producers of goods or services.
9. (computing) An instance of a security token associated with a resource (such as a file).

• protect

Inherited from Old French protection, from stem of Late Latin prōtectiōnem (“a covering over”), from Latin prōtēctus, perfect passive participle of prōtegere (“to protect, cover in front”).

• IPA^(key): /pʁɔ.tɛk.sjɔ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

protection f (plural protections)

1. protection

• “protection”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• picoteront