GUARD

[verb] [T]If you guard a place, you protect it.Government troops are guarding key buildings in the capital against terrorist attacks. [T]Since the start of last week's attempted coup, the President has hardly left his heavily guarded headquarters. [T]If you guard a person, you protect them or prevent them from escaping.The terrorists guarded their prisoners day and night.If you guard information, you keep it secret.Journalists jealously (= carefully) guard their sources of information.If you guard against something, you take careful action in order to try to prevent it from happening.The best way to guard against financial problems is to avoid getting into debt.Her way to guard against being attacked is never to go out alone at night.