Meaning

verb shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage

verb use tariffs to favor domestic industry

originAttested in English since 1530, from Latin prōtēctus (“covered, protected”), past participle of prōtegō, prōtegere (“to cover the front, protect”) from prō, prō- (“before, in front of”) + tegō, tegere (“to cover”), see tegument. Displaced native Middle English shelden, from Old English sċildan (“to protect,” literally “to shield”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0