defend
verb/dɪˈfɛnd/ · [dɪˈfɛnd]
Etymology From Middle English defenden, from Old French defendre, deffendre (Modern French défendre), from Latin dēfendō (“to ward off”), from Proto-Italic *fendō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen-. Displaced native Old English bewerian.
11 senses
- 1To ward off attacks against (something or someone).
- 2To ward off attacks from (something or someone).
- 3To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.
- 4To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).
- 5To focus one's energies and talents on preventing…
- 6Mostly in tests. The action of not putting force into…
- 7To attempt to retain a title, or attempt to reach the…
- 8To call a raise from the big blind.
- 9To ward off, repel (an attack or attacker).
- 10To prevent, to keep (from doing something).
- 11To prohibit, forbid.
› To ward off attacks against; to fight to…
To ward off attacks against (something or someone).
- Most Zionists hoped for a state of their own, but early in the 20th century, writers like Hillel Solotaroff and Chaim Zhitlowsky, both Yiddish-speaking immigrant intellectuals in New York, imagined another alternative: a federation of self-governing anarchist communes in Palestine that would defend Jewish life without relying on state power.2019 July 15, Greg Afinogenov, “The Jewish Case for Open Borders”, in Jewish Currents, number Summer 2019:
To ward off attacks from (something or someone).
To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.
- Justice Elena Kagan on Thursday defended the code of conduct the Supreme Court created last year, but conceded there needs to be a way to enforce the rules for it to be more effective.2024 July 25, Devan Cole, “Justice Elena Kagan says Supreme Court’s code of conduct needs an enforcement plan. Takeaways from her wide-ranging comments.”, in CNN:
Law To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).
- Philip Miles, defending, said: "This was a single instance, there was no allegation of continuing behaviour over a long period of time."2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in The Guardian:
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Mostly in tests. The action of not putting force into hitting a shot, but to conserve energy and wear down bowlers so they can attack later.
- The teams strategy was to defend but score runs as well for the first 20 overs.
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To attempt to retain a title, or attempt to reach the same stage in a competition as one did in the previous instance of that competition.
Card games, Poker Slang To call a raise from the big blind.
Obsolete To ward off, repel (an attack or attacker).
- The vertue is, that neither steele, nor stone The stroke thereof from entrance may defend[…].1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
Obsolete To prevent, to keep (from doing something).
Obsolete To prohibit, forbid.
- Broder said sir launcelot wete ye wel I am ful lothe to departe oute of this realme but the quene hath defended me soo hyhely that me semeth she wille neuer be my good lady as she hath ben1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “ij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XVIII: