Bodyguard
/ˈbɒd.i ɡɑːrd/noun
A person or group employed to protect someone from harm.
Did you know?The word is a straightforward compound, but its older roots are deeply primal: the first element goes back to a Germanic word for the physical body, while the second comes from a root meaning to guard, enclose, or protect.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
bodig
“the physical body”
Old English
OE
weard
“a guard, watcher, protector”
Middle English
ME
body + ward
“a body-guard; one who watches over a person”
16th-17th Century
English
bodyguard
“a personal protector or escort”
Modern English
English
bodyguard
“a person employed to protect another person”