protector

/prəˈtɛktər/

/prəˈtɛktə/

Other forms: protectors

A protector is someone who takes care of you. In most families, part of the parents' job is to be their children's protectors.

A museum guard is a protector of valuable artworks, and a Great Pyrenees dog might work as the protector of a flock of sheep, barking at predators. You can tell from the word protector that it's all about protecting, or keeping safe from harm. In Latin, protect means "covered in front," from the verb protegere and its roots pro-, "in front" and tegere, "to cover."

Definitions of protector

1. noun

   a person who cares for persons or property
   synonyms: defender, guardian, shielder

   types:

   admonisher, monitor, reminder

   someone who gives a warning so that a mistake can be avoided

   bodyguard, escort

   someone who escorts and protects a prominent person

   champion, fighter, hero, paladin

   someone who fights for a cause

   chaperon, chaperone

   one who accompanies and supervises a young woman or gatherings of young people

   custodian, keeper, steward

   one having charge of buildings or grounds or animals

   fire fighter, fire-eater, firefighter, fireman

   a member of a fire department who tries to extinguish fires

   foster parent, foster-parent

   a person who acts as parent and guardian for a child in place of the child's natural parents but without legally adopting the child

   guard

   a person who keeps watch over something or someone

   keeper

   someone in charge of other people

   law officer, lawman, peace officer

   an officer of the law

   patron saint

   a saint who is considered to be a defender of some group or nation

   peacekeeper

   someone who keeps peace

   tribune

   (ancient Rome) an official elected by the plebeians to protect their interests

   watchdog

   a guardian or defender against theft or illegal practices or waste

   attorney general

   the chief law officer of a country or state

   baby farmer

   someone who runs an establishment that houses and cares for babies for a fee

   baby minder, babyminder, minder

   a person who looks after babies (usually in the person's own home) while the babys' parents are working

   baby-sitter, babysitter, sitter

   a person engaged to care for children when the parents are not home

   border patrolman

   someone who patrols the borders of a country

   bouncer, chucker-out

   a person whose duty is to throw troublemakers out of a bar or public meeting

   caretaker

   a custodian who is hired to take care of something (property or a person)

   constable

   a lawman with less authority and jurisdiction than a sheriff

   conservator, curator

   the custodian of a collection (as a museum or library)

   den mother

   a woman who supervises a den of Cub Scouts

   deputy, deputy sheriff

   someone authorized to exercise the powers of sheriff in emergencies

   door guard, doorkeeper, doorman, gatekeeper, hall porter, ostiary, porter

   someone who guards an entrance

   duenna

   a woman chaperon

   fire chief, fire marshal

   the head of a fire department

   fire warden, forest fire fighter, ranger

   an official who is responsible for managing and protecting an area of forest

   flatfoot, patrolman

   a policeman who patrols a given region

   foster father, foster-father

   a man who is a foster parent

   foster mother, foster-mother

   a woman who is a foster parent and raises another's child

   game warden, gamekeeper

   a person employed to take care of game and wildlife

   greenskeeper

   someone responsible for the maintenance of a golf course

   gaoler, jailer, jailor, prison guard, screw, turnkey

   someone who guards prisoners

   halberdier

   a guard who carries a halberd (as a symbol of his duty)

   housemother

   a woman employed as a chaperon in a residence for young people

   house sitter

   a custodian who lives in and cares for a house while the regular occupant is away (usually without an exchange of money)

   janitor

   someone employed to clean and maintain a building

   lieutenant, police lieutenant

   an officer in a police force

   lighthouse keeper

   the keeper of a lighthouse

   marshal, marshall

   a law officer having duties similar to those of a sheriff in carrying out the judgments of a court of law

   MP, military policeman

   a member of the military police who polices soldiers and guards prisoners

   nanny, nurse, nursemaid

   a person who is the custodian of children

   narc, narcotics agent, nark

   a lawman concerned with narcotics violations

   outrider

   an escort who rides ahead (as a member of the vanguard)

   critter sitter, pet sitter

   someone left in charge of pets while their owners are away from home

   officer, police officer, policeman

   a member of a police force

   police sergeant, sergeant

   a lawman with the rank of sergeant

   Praetorian, Praetorian Guard

   a member of the Praetorian Guard

   screener

   a guard at an airport who checks passengers or their luggage at a security checkpoint

   sheriff

   the principal law-enforcement officer in a county

   solicitor general

   a law officer appointed to assist an attorney general

   Ranger, Texas Ranger

   a member of the Texas state highway patrol; formerly a mounted lawman who maintained order on the frontier

   warden

   the chief official in charge of a prison

   warder

   a person who works in a prison and is in charge of prisoners

   security guard, watcher, watchman

   a guard who keeps watch

   beefeater, yeoman, yeoman of the guard

   officer in the (ceremonial) bodyguard of the British monarch

   zoo keeper

   the chief person responsible for a zoological garden

   type of:

   preserver

   someone who keeps safe from harm or danger