A.absol. to keep watch and ward, keep guard, Hom., attic; σὺν κυσὶ φυλάσσοντες περὶ μῆλα Il.
B.trans. to watch, guard, keep, defend, Hom., etc.; φυλάττειν τινὰ ἀπό τινος to guard one from a person or thing, Xen.:—also φ. τινὰ μὴ πάσχειν to guard one against suffering, Soph.:—Pass. to be watched, kept under guard, Hdt.
2.to watch for, lie in wait or ambush for, Hom., Thuc.; φ. τὸ σύμβολον to look out for the signal-fire, Aesch.: to watch, to wait for, observe an appointed time or a fixed event, Hdt., Thuc.; φ. νύκτα to wait for night, Thuc.
3.metaph. to keep, maintain, cherish, χόλον, ὅρκια Il.; φ. ἔπος to observe a command, id=Il.; νόμον Soph.; φ. σκαιοσύναν to cling to it, foster it, id=Soph.:—Pass., φυλάττεσθαι παρά τινι to be fostered in or by . . , id=Soph.
C.Mid., with perf. pass.,
I.absol. to be on one's guard, keep watch, νύκτα φυλασσομένοισι Il.; πεφυλαγμένος εἶναι to be cautious, prudent, id=Il.; so, φυλασσομένους πορεύεσθαι with caution, Xen.
2.c. acc. to keep a thing by one, bear it in mind, Hes., Soph.
4.c. inf. to take care to do, Hdt.
5.c. gen., φυλάσσεσθαι τῶν νεῶν to take care for the ships, be chary of them, Thuc.
II.φυλάσσεσθαί τι or τινα to beware of, be on one's guard against, shun, avoid, Hdt., Aesch.; also φ. πρός τι Thuc.; ἀπό τινος Xen.;—c. part., εἰσορῶν φυλάξομαι I will take care to look on, Soph.;—c. inf., φ. μὴ ποιεῖν to take care not to do, guard against doing, Hdt.; φ. τὸ μὴ γενέσθαι τι Dem.; so, φ. μή or φ. ὅπως μὴ . . , with subj., to take care lest a thing happen, Eur., Xen.: rarely c. gen., τῶν εὖ φύλαξαι Soph.
III.sometimes Act. has sense of Mid., Eur., Plat.
