protective

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

protective
    adj 1: intended or adapted to afford protection of some kind; "a
           protective covering"; "the use of protective masks and
           equipment"; "protective coatings"; "kept the drunken
           sailor in protective custody"; "animals with protective
           coloring"; "protective tariffs" [ant: {unprotective}]
    2: showing care; "a protective mother"
    3: (usually followed by `of') solicitously caring or mindful;
       "protective of his reputation"

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Protective \Pro*tect"ive\, a. [Cf. F. protectif.]
   Affording protection; sheltering; defensive. " The favor of a
   protective Providence." --Feltham.
   [1913 Webster]

   {Protective coloring} (Zool.), coloring which serves for the
      concealment and preservation of a living organism. Cf.
      {Mimicry}. --Wallace.

   {Protective tariff} (Polit. Econ.), a tariff designed to
      secure protection (see {Protection}, 4.), as distinguished
      from a tariff designed to raise revenue. See {Tariff}, and
      {Protection}, 4.
      [1913 Webster]

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

37 Moby Thesaurus words for "protective":
      careful, conservational, conservationist, conservative,
      conservatory, conserving, covering, custodial, defending,
      defensive, fostering, guardian, guarding, heedful, immunizing,
      jealous, keeping, parental, possessive, preservative, preservatory,
      preserving, preventative, preventive, prophylactic, protecting,
      safeguarding, saving, screening, self-defensive, self-preservative,
      self-protective, sheltering, shielding, tutelary, vigilant,
      watchful