safeguard
See also: safe-guard
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English savegard, from Middle French sauvegarde, from Old French salve garde, sauve garde, reconstructed as safe + guard.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
safeguard (plural safeguards)
- Something that serves as a guard or protection; a defense.
- Getting a flu shot is a good safeguard against illness.
- One who, or that which, defends or protects; defence; protection.
- 1726, George Granville, To the King, in the First Year of His Majesty’s Reign:
- Thy sword, the safeguard of thy brother's throne.
- A safe-conduct or passport, especially in time of war.
- c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
- the inheritance of their loves and safeguard
- (obsolete) The monitor lizard.
- 1844, The Animal Kingdom:
- The same idea is entertained of the Safeguard in America, as of the Monitor in Africa, and other parts of the Old World, […]
Translations edit
something that serves as a guard or protection; a defense
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a safe-conduct, especially in time of war
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Verb edit
safeguard (third-person singular simple present safeguards, present participle safeguarding, simple past and past participle safeguarded)
- To protect, to keep safe.
- She kept a savings to safeguard against debt and emergencies.
- 2020 November 18, “Network News: London 'bailout' achieved with just minutes to spare”, in Rail, page 10:
- "[...] Crossrail 2 is mothballed. It is safeguarded, it is absolutely not cancelled."
- (UK, Ireland, by extension) To implement safeguarding.
- To escort safely.
Translations edit
to protect, to keep safe
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