pro·tect 
/prəˈtɛkt/ verb
pro·tects; pro·tect·ed; pro·tect·ing /prəˈtɛkt/ verb 1 : to keep (someone or something) from being harmed, lost, etc. [+ obj] ▪ He had no raincoat to protect himself from the rain. ▪ She keeps her jewelry protected in a safe. ▪ You have to protect your business against fraud. ▪ New laws have been passed to protect your privacy. ▪ The forest is protected by/under federal law. ▪ The high taxes on imported goods are intended to protect domestic producers. [no obj] ▪ Sunscreen helps to protect against sunburn. 2 : to save (someone) from financial loss caused by fire, injury, damage, etc. — usually + against [+ obj] ▪ The insurance protects you against flooding. [no obj] ▪ The insurance does not protect against damage caused by earthquakes. 3 [+ obj] sports : to try to stop opponents from scoring at (your goal)
▪ The goalie slipped and fell, but the defenseman was there to protect [=defend] the goal.
▪ The goalie slipped and fell, but the defenseman was there to protect [=defend] the goal.
— protected adjective always used before a noun [more protected; most protected]
▪ a protected area/species ▪ protected industries/markets
▪ a protected area/species ▪ protected industries/markets
