Bields

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To shield or protect from harm or danger; to provide shelter or defense against adverse conditions; to guard or cover from exposure or attack
2. To act as a means of defense or refuge, keeping safe from injury or damage; to offer protection by blocking or absorbing impact; to serve as a barrier against threats or harm
3. To cover or envelop so as to prevent harm or discomfort; to defend oneself or others from potential risks; to act in a way that safeguards against physical or metaphorical attacks

Etymology: In Scots, "bields" is the plural of "bield," a noun meaning a shelter or a sheltered spot, and the verb "bields" means to shelter someone from harm. Both come from Old English "bieldu," which meant "courage" or "boldness." The link is that a bold, confident person stood firm and protected others, so the word drifted from a quality of character to the thing that provides protection. The same root produced the verb "bieldan" in Old English, meaning "to encourage" or "to embolden," which shows the older sense of making someone bold. Over the centuries the sense shifted from inner courage to outward protection, so a bield became a place that shelters, and to bield someone became to keep them safe.

Synonyms: shields, protects, defends

Antonyms: exposes, endangers, vulnerates