proˌtective ˈcustody BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
a situation in which the police make you stay somewhere to protect you from people who could harm you
in/into protective custody
The children were taken into protective custody.
proˌtective ˈcustody BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
a situation in which the police make you stay somewhere to protect you from people who could harm you
in/into protective custody
The children were taken into protective custody.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Longman - Словарь современного английского языка. 2012