safeguard, v.
(ˈseɪfgɑːd)
[f. prec. n. Cf. F. sauvegarder, which Littré and Hatz.-Darm. call a ‘néologisme’.]
a. trans. To keep secure from danger or attack; to guard, protect, defend. Now chiefly with immaterial obj. (e.g. interests, rights).
| 1494 Fabyan Chron. ii. xxix. 21 Brenne..was fayne to Sauegard hymselfe by flyght. 1501 Surtees Misc. (1888) 51 Suche thyng as may safegard hym y{supt} is born in England that he shall not be suspect for a Skott. 1561 Godly Q. Hester (1873) 17 The Quene muste sauegarde all the hole prouince. 1594 R. Ashley tr. Loys le Roy 111 b, Building in their countries fortresses thereby to safegard the traficke of the East. 1616 Surfl. & Markh. Country Farm 64 Heat doth safegard and thicken the Milke. 1617 Hieron Wks. (1619–20) II. 393 The walls of Jericho could not save⁓gard it from the invasion of Joshua. 1619 W. Sclater Exp. 1 Thess. (1630) 551 By auoiding ill shewes, we safe⁓gard our fame. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 169 The coast is safeguarded from sand and stealth by a defensive wall. 1675 Brooks Gold. Key Wks. 1867 V. 489 This angel secured and safeguarded them all the way through the wilderness. 1865 Times 23 Jan. 9/5, I am very thankful that their [my decisions'] correctness is safeguarded. 1887 Standard 13 May 5/3 A compromise calculated to safeguard French interests. 1889 Edin. Rev. Oct. 329 Nor could the troops be safeguarded against a surprise. |
† b. To send or conduct in safety. Obs.
| 1606 G. W[oodcocke] Hist. Justine xv. 63 b, Demetrius..safegarded home into Egipt, Leuticke Ptolomies son, and Menelaus his brother ransomelesse. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 31 With his Army to safegard him to the Kings Metropolis. |
c. To ‘protect’ (a native manufacture or industry) against foreign imports.
| 1903 Daily Mail Year Bk. 149/1 Protection is the name given to the system of safe-guarding from foreign competition, native industries by the imposition..of duties. 1926 Encycl. Brit. III. 445/2 (heading) Four classes of goods safeguarded. 1928 Manch. Guardian Weekly 10 Aug. 105/1 By appointing a Royal Commission to inquire into the expediency of safeguarding the iron and steel industries. 1929 Morning Post 5 Feb. 14/4 Safe-guarding Wool. |
Hence ˈsafeguarding vbl. n. also attrib.) and ppl. a. Also ˈsafeguarder.
| a 1513 Fabyan Chron. vii. 429 Wherfore in safe-gardynge of hym selfe, he fled with a small companye to warde Walys. 1534 More Comf. agst. Trib. ii. x. (1553) G v b, My strength and my prayse is our Lorde, he hathe bene my safegarder. 1621 Ussher Serm. 5 The Watchmen..who were appoynted for the safegarding of the Church. 1658 Owen Temptation viii. 152 We are arrived then to the summe of this safeguarding Duty. 1862 J. Severn in Atlantic Monthly LXIX. 636 The French troops..have been ordered to concentrate here at once, for the safeguarding of the Eternal City. 1921 Act 11 & 12 Geo. V c. 47 Part 1, Safeguarding of Key Industries. 1925 Times 10 Feb. 12/4 The idea of introducing a general Safeguarding of Industry Bill has been abandoned. 1926 H. Bell in F. W. Hirst Safeguarding p. vi, Protection is no longer called ‘Tariff Reform’. It is called ‘Safeguarding of Industries’ or ‘Buy British Goods’ or ‘Merchandise Marks’. 1932 G. D. H. Cole Brit. Trade & Industry 366 The McKenna and Safeguarding duties. |