Protective

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Protective \Pro*tect"ive\, a. [Cf. F. protectif.]
     Affording protection; sheltering; defensive. " The favor of a
     protective Providence." --Feltham.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Protective coloring} (Zool.), 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.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [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)}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  37 Moby Thesaurus words for "protective":
     careful, conservational, conservationist, conservative,
     conservatory, conserving, covering, custodial, defending,
     defensive, fostering, guardian, guarding, heedful, immunizing,
     jealous, keeping, parental, possessive, preservative, preservatory,
     preserving, preventative, preventive, prophylactic, protecting,
     safeguarding, saving, screening, self-defensive, self-preservative,
     self-protective, sheltering, shielding, tutelary, vigilant,
     watchful