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"
providing protective supervision; watching over or safeguarding; "daycare that is educational and not just custodial"; "a guardian angel"; "tutelary gods"
with extreme care or delicacy; "they proceeded with gingerly footwork over the jagged stones"; "the issue was handled only in a gingerly way"- W.S.White
in a gingerly manner; "gingerly I raised the edge of the blanket"