From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Defend \De*fend"\ (d[-e]*f[e^]nd"), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Defended}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Defending}.] [F. d['e]fendre, L. defendere; de- + fendere (only in comp.) to strike; perh. akin to Gr. qei'nein to strike, and E. dint. Cf. {Dint}, {Defense}, {Fend}.]
1. To ward or fend off; to drive back or away; to repel. [A Latinism & Obs.]
Th' other strove for to defend The force of Vulcan with his might and main. --Spenser.
2. To prohibit; to forbid. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Which God defend that I should wring from him. --Shak.
3. To repel danger or harm from; to protect; to secure against attack; to maintain against force or argument; to uphold; to guard; as, to defend a town; to defend a cause; to defend character; to defend the absent; -- sometimes followed by from or against; as, to defend one's self from, or against, one's enemies.
The lord mayor craves aid . . . to defend the city. --Shak.
A village near it was defended by the river. --Clarendon.
4. (Law.) To deny the right of the plaintiff in regard to (the suit, or the wrong charged); to oppose or resist, as a claim at law; to contest, as a suit. --Burrill.
Usage: To defend is literally to ward off; to protect is to cover so as to secure against approaching danger. We defend those who are attacked; we protect those who are liable to injury or invasion. A fortress is defended by its guns, and protected by its wall.
As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it. --Is. xxxi. 5.
Leave not the faithful side That gave thee being, still shades thee and protects. --Milton.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
adjective
1: attempting to or designed to prevent an opponent from winning or scoring
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Let's see what we can do if we put our heads together.
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