from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Guardian \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.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
{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.
[1913 Webster]