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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Defence \De*fence"\ (d[-e]*f[e^]ns"), noun & verb (used with an object) See {Defense}.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Defense \De*fense"\, Defence \De*fence"\, noun [F. d['e]fense, OF. defense, fem., defens, masc., fr. L. defensa (cf. LL. defensum), from defendere. See {Defend}, and cf. {Fence}.]
1. The act of defending, or the state of being defended; protection, as from violence or danger.
In cases of defense 't is best to weigh The enemy more mighty than he seems. --Shak.
2. That which defends or protects; anything employed to oppose attack, ward off violence or danger, or maintain security; a guard; a protection.
War would arise in defense of the right. --Tennyson.
God, the widow's champion and defense. --Shak.
3. Protecting plea; vindication; justification.
Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense. --Acts xxii. 1.
4. (Law) The defendant's answer or plea; an opposing or denial of the truth or validity of the plaintiff's or prosecutor's case; the method of proceeding adopted by the defendant to protect himself against the plaintiff's action.
5. Act or skill in making defense; defensive plan or policy; practice in self defense, as in fencing, boxing, etc.
A man of great defense. --Spenser.
By how much defense is better than no skill. --Shak.
6. Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance. [Obs.]
Severe defenses . . . against wearing any linen under a certain breadth. --Sir W. Temple.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Defense \De*fense"\, verb (used with an object) To furnish with defenses; to fortify. [Obs.] [Written also {defence}.]
Better manned and more strongly defensed. --Hales.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
defence
noun
1: (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires [syn: {defense mechanism}, {defense reaction}, {defence mechanism}, {defence reaction}, {defense}]
2: (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring; "his teams are always good on defense" [syn: {defense}, {defending team}] [ant: {offense}, {offense}]
3: the defendant and his legal advisors collectively; "the defense called for a mistrial" [syn: {defense}, {defense team}, {defense lawyers}] [ant: {prosecution}]
4: an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack; "he joined the defense against invasion" [syn: {defense}, {defense force}, {defence force}]
5: the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions; "his refutation of the charges was short and persuasive"; "in defense he said the other man started it" [syn: {refutation}, {defense}]
6: the justification for some act or belief; "he offered a persuasive defense of the theory" [syn: {defense}, {vindication}]
7: a structure used for defense; "the artillery battered down the defenses" [syn: {defensive structure}, {defense}]
8: a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him; "he gave evidence for the defense" [syn: {defense}, {denial}, {demurrer}] [ant: {prosecution}]
9: military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies; "they died in the defense of Stalingrad"; "they were developed for the defense program" [syn: {defense}, {defensive measure}]
10: protection from harm; "sanitation is the best defense against disease" [syn: {defense}]
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |