PROTECT', verb transitive [Latin protectus, protego; pro and tego; to cover; Gr. with a prefix; Eng. deck. See Deck.] To cover or shield from danger or injury; to defend; to guard; to preserve in safety; a word of general import both in a literal and figurative sense. Walls protect a city or garrison; clothing is designed to protect the body from cold; arms may protect one from an assault; our houses protect us from the inclemencies of the weather; the law protects our persons and property; the father protects his children, and the guardian his ward; a shade protects us from extreme heat; a navy protects our commerce and our shores; embassadors are protected from arrest.
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Webster's Dictionary 1828
American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828.