Hypertext Webster Gateway: "protective"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Protective \Pro*tect"ive\, a. [Cf. F. protectif.]
Affording protection; sheltering; defensive. `` The favor of
a protective Providence.'' --Feltham.
{Protective coloring} (Zo["o]l.), coloring which serves for
the concealment and preservation of a living organism. Cf.
{Mimicry}. --Wallace.
{Protective tariff} (Polit. Econ.), a tariff designed to
secure protection (see {Protection}, 4.), as distinguished
from a tariff designed to raise revenue. See {Tariff}, and
{Protection}, 4.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
protective
adj 1: intended or adapted to afford protection of some kind; "a
protective covering"; "the use of protective masks and
equipment"; "protective coatings"; "kept the drunken
sailor in protective custody"; "animals with
protective coloring"; "protective tariffs" [ant: {unprotective}]
2: showing a care; "a caring mother" [syn: {caring}]
3: (usually followed by `of') solicitously caring or mindful;
"protective of his reputation" [syn: {protective(p)}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.