An archaic or dialectal form meaning to guard or protect something from harm or danger.
From Old French 'garder' meaning 'to keep, guard, or protect,' derived from Germanic roots related to 'ward.' The word evolved through Middle English and represents an older spelling of the modern 'guard.'
This is a ghost word—a relic from Middle English that shows how English pronunciation changed while spelling stayed stuck in the past. You can see the same root in 'regard,' 'discard,' and 'retard,' all hiding this ancient 'gar-' meaning 'to keep'.
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