guardian

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See also: Guardian, guardiān, and guardián

English

Etymology

From Middle English gardein, garden, (also wardein, > Modern English warden), from Old French guardein, from the verb guarder, of Germanic origin. Compare French gardien. Doublet of warden. By surface analysis, guard +‎ -ian.

Pronunciation

Noun

guardian (plural guardians)

  1. Someone who guards, watches over, or protects.
    • 1791, John Walker, A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary ‎, London: Sold by G. G. J. and J. Robinſon, Paternoſter Row; and T. Cadell, in the Strand, →OCLC, page 162:
      Thoſe who ought to be the guardians of propriety are often the perverters of it. Hence Accidence for Accidents, Prepoſtor for Prepoſitor and Conſtur for Conſtrue […]
    • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, page 52::
      As your Senior Tutor, I am your moral guardian,’ he said at last. ‘A moral guardian yearns for an immoral ward and the Lord has provided.
  2. (law) A person legally responsible for a minor (in loco parentis).
  3. (law) A person legally responsible for an incompetent person.
  4. A superior in a Franciscan monastery.
  5. (video games) A major or final enemy; boss.
    • 1993, Zach Meston, J. Douglas Arnold, Awesome Super Nintendo Secrets 2:
      Secret weak points of bosses/guardians.
    • 2004, James Newman, Videogames:
      'if you tell me how to find the secret door in level three, I'll tell you how to defeat the end of level guardian'

Derived terms

Descendants

  • → Japanese: ガーディアン (gādian)

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Anagrams

Middle French

Etymology

Old French garden, from the verb guarder.

Noun

guardian m (plural guardians)

  1. guardian; protector
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