守 shǒu to defend

to defend; to guard; to protect; to wait; to abide by the law

怎么记住“守”: 宀 house + 寸 inch = to defend. The little dog sits in front of the house and won't move an inch, ready to defend the family.

部件结构

守 = 宀 house + 寸 inch

Gushi 故事

The little dog sits in front of the house and won't move an inch, ready to defend the family.

遵守 (zūnshǒu) - to abide by/comply with (rules, laws) - is formal and common in official contexts: 遵守规定 (zūnshǒu guīdìng) - comply with regulations.
保守 (bǎoshǒu) has two common uses: "conservative" as an adjective (political/personal attitude), and "to keep secret" as in 保守秘密 (bǎoshǒu mìmì).
坚守 (jiānshǒu) - to firmly hold to (a position or principle) - is more emphatic and formal.
The idiom 守株待兔 (shǒuzhū-dàitù), literally "guard a tree stump waiting for a rabbit", warns against relying on luck instead of effort.