Protectives

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Items or substances designed to shield or guard against harm or adverse effects
2. Mechanisms put in place to ensure safety and prevent injury or damage
3. Materials or strategies employed to provide a layer of defense in various contexts

Etymology: "Protectives" is the plural of "protective", used as a noun for the safety mechanisms or devices fitted to machines, equipment or workplaces to stop people or property from being hurt or damaged. The noun sense is a modern extension of the adjective, which describes something that shields or guards. The adjective was borrowed from Medieval Latin "prōtēctīvus", a formation built on the Latin verb "protegere", meaning "to cover in front" or "to shield". English has since combined "protect" with the suffix "-ive", which turns a verb into an adjective meaning "tending to do" or "serving to do" something, so a protective thing is one that serves to protect.

Synonyms: defenses, barriers, shields, guardians, safeguards