Webster's English Dictionary

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guard

Cross references:
  1. defend                
 
1. guard \'ga:rd\ n [ME garde, fr. MF, fr. OF, fr. garder to guard, defend, 
   of Gmc orig]in; akin to OHG warte-n to watch, take care - more at WARD obs  
   1: GUARDIANSHIP  2: a posture of defense  3a: act or duty of protecting or 
   defending  3b: the state of being protected : PROTECTION  archaic  4: 
   PRECAUTION  5a: a person or a body of men on sentinel duty  pl  5b: troops 
   attached to the person of the sovereign  5c1: BRAKEMAN  Brit  5c2: 
   CONDUCTOR  6a: a position or player next to the center in a football line  
   6b: either of two primarily defensive players stationed to the rear of the  
   court in basketball 7: a protective or safety device; specif : a device for 
   protecting  a machine part or the operator of a machine
2. guard \'ga:rd-.hau.s\ \'ga:r-.dru:m, -.dru.m\ vt 1: to protect an edge 
   of with an ornamental border  2a: to protect from danger : DEFEND  2b: to 
   stand at the entrance of as if on guard or as a barrier  archaic  3: ESCORT 
    4a: to watch over so as to prevent escape or indiscretion  4b: to attempt 
   to prevent (an opponent) from scoring  : to be on guard  - guard.er n