Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Protect

Protect , transitive verb

[Latin protectus, past participle of protegere, literally, to cover in front; pro before + tegere to cover. See Tegument.]

To cover or shield from danger or injury; to defend; to guard; to preserve in safety; as, a father protects his children.
The gods of Greece protect you! — Shakespeare