BODYGUARD

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bodyguard mean? 

• BODYGUARD (noun)
  The noun BODYGUARD has 2 senses:

1. someone who escorts and protects a prominent person

2. a group of men who escort and protect some important person

  Familiarity information: BODYGUARD used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BODYGUARD (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Someone who escorts and protects a prominent person

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

bodyguard; escort

Hypernyms ("bodyguard" is a kind of...):

defender; guardian; protector; shielder (a person who cares for persons or property)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bodyguard"):

outrider (an escort who rides ahead (as a member of the vanguard))

Praetorian; Praetorian Guard (a member of the Praetorian Guard)

beefeater; yeoman; yeoman of the guard (officer in the (ceremonial) bodyguard of the British monarch)

Holonyms ("bodyguard" is a member of...):

guard (a military unit serving to protect some place or person)

Derivation:

body guard (accompany and protect from physical harm)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A group of men who escort and protect some important person

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("bodyguard" is a kind of...):

detachment (a small unit of troops of special composition)

guard (a military unit serving to protect some place or person)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bodyguard"):

Praetorian Guard (the elite bodyguard of a Roman Emperor in ancient Rome)

Holonyms ("bodyguard" is a part of...):

cortege; entourage; retinue; suite (the group following and attending to some important person)

Derivation:

body guard (accompany and protect from physical harm)

 Context examples 

Methionine, he explains, is known to play a "bodyguard" role in proteins, serving as a sort of target for reactive oxygen species that cells can easily repair.

(Genes Can be Read in Different Ways, NIH, US)

They saw it also, and smiled and waved their hands, and the last thing she beheld as she turned the corner was the four bright faces, and behind them like a bodyguard, old Mr. Laurence, faithful Hannah, and devoted Laurie.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)