Pre*to"ri*an (?), a. [L. praetorians: cf. F. prétorien.] Of or pertaining to a pretor or magistrate; judicial; exercised by, or belonging to, a pretor; as, pretorian power or authority.

Pretorian bands or guards, or Pretorians(Rom. Hist.), the emperor's bodyguards, instituted by the Emperor Augustus in nine cohorts of 1,000 men each. -- Pretorian gate(Rom. Antiq.), that one of the four gates in a camp which lay next the enemy.Brande & C.

Pre*to"ri*an, n. A soldier of the pretorian guard.