Definition of "protection"

protection

/pɹəˈtɛkʃən/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural protections
1. The process of keeping (something or someone) safe.
  Quotations
  But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window […].
  1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […]
2. The state of being safe.
3. A means of keeping or remaining safe.
4. A means, such as a condom, of preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease.
5. (insurance) Coverage.
6. Immunity from harm, obtained by illegal payments, as bribery or extortion.
7. (obsolete) A document serving as a guarantee against harm or interference; a passport.
8. (economics) Restrictions on foreign competitors which limit their ability to compete with domestic producers of goods or services.
9. (computing) An instance of a security token associated with a resource (such as a file).