Main Entry: 1de-fense
Pronunciation: di-'fen(t)s; as antonym of "offense," often 'dE-"
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin defensa vengeance, from Latin, feminine of defensus, past participle of defendere
Date: 14th century
1 a : the act or action of defending b : a defendant's denial, answer, or plea
2 a : capability of resisting attack b : defensive play or ability
3 a : means or method of defending or protecting oneself, one's team, or another; also : a defensive structure b : an argument in support or justification c : the collected facts and method adopted by a defendant to protect himself against a plaintiff's action d : a sequence of moves available in chess to the second player in the opening
4 a : a defending party or group (as in a court of law) b : a defensive team
5 : the military and industrial aggregate that authorizes and supervises arms production
- de-fense-less /-l&s/ adjective
- de-fense-less-ly adverb
- de-fense-less-ness noun