Guard"ant, n. A guardian. [Obs.] Shak.
Guard"ed, a. Cautious; wary; circumspect; as, he was guarded in his
expressions; framed or uttered with caution; as, his expressions were
guarded. -- Guard"edly, adv. -- Guard"ed*ness, n.
Guard"en*age (?), n. Guardianship. [Obs. & R.] " His tuition and
guardenage." Holland.
Guard"er (?), n. One who guards.
Guard"fish` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The garfish.
Guard"ful (?), a. Cautious; wary; watchful. [Obs. or Poetic.] --
Guard"ful*ly, adv.
Guard"house` (?), n. (Mil.) A building which is occupied by the guard,
and in which soldiers are confined for misconduct; hence, a lock-up.
Guard"i*an (?), n. [OF. guardain, gardien, F. gardien, LL. guardianus.
See Guard, v. t., and cf. Wasden.] 1. One who guards, preserves, or
secures; one to whom any person or thing is committed for protection,
security, or preservation from injury; a warden.
2. (Law) One who has, or is entitled to, the custody of the person or
property of an infant, a minor without living parents, or a person
incapable of managing his own affairs.
Of the several species of guardians, the first are guardians by
nature. -- viz., the father and (in some cases) the mother of the
child.
Blackstone.
Guardian ad litem (&?;) (Law), a guardian appointed by a court of
justice to conduct a particular suit. -- Guardians of the poor, the
members of a board appointed or elected to care for the relief of the
poor within a township, or district.
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Guard"i*an (?), a. Performing, or appropriate to, the office of a
protector; as, a guardian care.
Feast of Guardian Angels (R. C. Ch.) a church festival instituted by
Pope Paul V., and celebrated on October 2d. -- Guardian angel. (a) The
particular spiritual being believed in some branches of the Christian
church to have guardianship and protection of each human being from
birth. (b) Hence, a protector or defender in general. O. W. Holmes. --
Guardian spirit, in the belief of many pagan nations, a spirit, often
of a deceased relative or friend, that presides over the interests of a
household, a city, or a region.