φυλάσσω
Etym. Root ΦΥΛΑΚ
A. absol. "to keep watch and ward, keep guard", Hom., attic; σὺν κυσὶ φυλάσσοντες περὶ μῆλα Il.
B. trans. "to watch, guard, keep, defend", Hom., etc.; φυλάττειν τινὰ ἀπό τινος "to guard" one from a person or thing, Xen.:—also φ. τινὰ μὴ πάσχειν "to guard" one against suffering, Soph.:—Pass. "to be watched, kept under guard", Hdt.
2. "to watch for, lie in wait or ambush for", Hom., Thuc.; φ. τὸ σύμβολον "to look out for" the signal-fire, Aesch.: "to watch, to wait for, observe" an appointed time or a fixed event, Hdt., Thuc.; φ. νύκτα "to wait for" night, Thuc.
3. metaph. "to keep, maintain, cherish", χόλον, ὅρκια Il.; φ. ἔπος "to observe" a command, id=Il.; νόμον Soph.; φ. σκαιοσύναν "to cling to" it, "foster" it, id=Soph.:—Pass., φυλάττεσθαι παρά τινι "to be fostered in or by..", id=Soph.
4. "to keep or continue in" a place, τόδε δῶμα φυλάσσοις Od.
C. Mid., with perf. pass.,
I. absol. "to be on one's guard, keep watch", νύκτα φυλασσομένοισι Il.; πεφυλαγμένος εἶναι to be "cautious, prudent", id=Il.; so, φυλασσομένους πορεύεσθαι "with caution", Xen.
2. c. acc. "to keep" a thing "by one, bear" it "in mind", Hes., Soph.
3. "to guard, keep safe", καὶ κεφαλὴν πεφύλαξο Orac. ap. Hdt.
4. c. inf. "to take care" to do, Hdt.
5. c. gen., φυλάσσεσθαι τῶν νεῶν "to take care for" the ships, "be chary of" them, Thuc.
II. φυλάσσεσθαί τι or τινα "to beware of, be on one's guard against, shun, avoid", Hdt., Aesch.; also φ. πρός τι Thuc.; ἀπό τινος Xen.;—c. part., εἰσορῶν φυλάξομαι "I will take care" to look on, Soph.;—c. inf., φ. μὴ ποιεῖν "to take care" not to do, "guard against" doing, Hdt.; φ. τὸ μὴ γενέσθαι τι Dem.; so, φ. μή or φ. ὅπως μὴ.., with subj., "to take care" lest a thing happen, Eur., Xen.: rarely c. gen., τῶν εὖ φύλαξαι Soph.
III. sometimes Act. has sense of Mid., Eur., Plat.