Lewis & Short

custōdĭo, īvi, or ĭi, ītum, 4 (fut. pass. custodibitur, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 71), v. a. [custos], to watch, protect, keep, defend, guard (freq. and class.).

  1. I. In gen.
    1. A. With material objects: Q. Caepio Brutus pro consule provinciam Macedoniam, tueatur, defendat, custodiat incolumemque conservet, Cic. Phil. 10, 11, 26: tuum corpus domumque, id. Mil. 25, 67: quod me receperit, juverit, custodierit, id. Planc. 10, 26; cf.: in meā salute custodiendā, id. ib. 1, 1: me non solum amicorum fidelitas, sed etiam universae civitatis oculi custodiunt, id. Phil. 12, 9, 22: ut haec insula ab eā (Cerere) … incoli custodirique videatur, id. Verr. 2, 4, 49, § 107: urbes, Quint. 7, 10, 13: maritimam oram viginti navibus longis, Liv. 36, 2, 11 (cf. tueri, id. 36, 2, 7): officinam diligentiā, Plin. 12, 14, 32, § 59: castra nocte, ne quis elabi posset, Liv. 9, 42, 6: amictum, Quint. 5, 14, 31: poma in melle, to lay up, preserve, Col. 12, 45, 3: paries, qui laevum marinae Veneris latus Custodit, Hor. C. 3, 26, 6: tua, id. S. 2, 3, 151: hic stilus … me veluti custodiet ensis, id. ib. 2, 1, 40.
      Esp.: se, to be on the watch: quanto se opere custodiant bestiae, Cic. N. D. 2, 49, 126: fac ut diligentissime te ipsum custodias, id. Att. 14, 17, A, 8.
          1. (β) With ab: Gortynii templum magnā curā custodiunt non tam a ceteris quam ab Hannibale, Nep. Hann. 9, 4: poma ab insomni dracone, Ov. M. 9, 190: cutem a vitiis, Plin. 28, 8, 25, § 89.
    2. B. With immaterial objects (freq. in postAug. prose), to keep, preserve, regard, take heed, observe, maintain: id quod tradatur posse percipere animo et memoriā custodire, Cic. de Or. 1, 28, 127: dicta litteris, id. ib. 2, 2, 7; cf.: ex his (arboribus) quas memoria hominum custodit, Plin. 16, 44, 85, § 234: illa quae scriptis reposuimus, velut custodire desinimus, Quint. 11, 2, 9; opp. mutare, id. 12, 8, 6: modum ubique, id. 4, 2, 35: regulam loquendi, id. 1, 7, 1: praecepta, Col. 1, 8, 15: eam rationem, id. 4, 29, 11: ordinem, id. 12, 4, 1: quae custodienda in olearam curā … praecipiemus, Plin. 17, 18, 29, § 125: morem, id. 14, 12, 14, § 88: religiose quod juraveris, id. Pan. 65, 2 et saep.
          1. (β) With ab: teneriores annos ab injuriā sanctitas docentis custodiat, Quint. 2, 2, 3.
          2. (γ) With ut or ne: in aliis quoque propinquitatibus custodiendum est, ut inviti judicemur dixisse, Quint. 11, 1, 66: quo in genere id est praecipue custodiendum, ne, etc., id. 8, 3, 73; 8, 5, 7; Col. 4, 24, 11: ut custoditum sit ne umquam veniret, etc., Suet. Tib. 7.
  2. II. With the access. idea of hindering free motion, in a good or bad sense.
    1. A. In gen., to hold something back, to preserve, keep: multorum te oculi et aures non sentientem … speculabuntur atque custodient, Cic. Cat. 1, 2, 6: aliquem, ne quid auferat, to watch, observe, id. Div. in Caecil. 16, 51: ejus (sc. epistulae) custodiendae et proferendae arbitrium tuum, Cic. Att. 15, 13, 1: librum, id. Fam. 6, 5, 1: codicillos, Suet. Tib. 51: prodit se quamlibet custodiatur simulatio, Quint. 12, 1, 29.
    2. B. Esp., to hold in custody, hold captive: noctu nervo vinctus custodibitur, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 71; Cic. Fragm. ap. Quint. 9, 3, 50: ducem praedonum, id. Verr. 2, 5, 27, § 68: obsides, Caes. B. G. 6, 4: Domitium, id. B. C. 1, 20: bovem, Verg. A. 8, 218 et saep.
      Hence, * cu-stōdītē, adv. (acc. to I.), cautiously, carefully: ut parce custoditeque ludebat! Plin. Ep. 5, 16, 3.