defend

defend
verb /dɛˈfɛnd,dɛˈfɛnd,diˈfɛnd,dəˈfɛnd/
a) To ward off attacks from; to fight to protect; to guard.

The vertue is, that neither steele, nor stone / The stroke thereof from entrance may defend [...].

b) To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.

"Brother," seyde Sir Launcelot, "wyte you well I am full loth to departe oute of thys reallme, but the quene hath defended me so hyghly that mesemyth she woll never be my good lady as she hath bene."


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  • Defend — De*fend (d[ e]*f[e^]nd ), v. t. [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.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • defend — de·fend vt 1: to drive danger or attack away from using a weapon to defend oneself 2: to act as attorney for (a defendant) appointed to defend the accused 3: to deny or oppose the rights of a plaintiff in regard to (a suit or claim) intend to… …   Law dictionary

  • defend — de‧fend [dɪˈfend] verb [transitive] LAW 1. if a lawyer defends someone charged with a crime, he or she represents that person and argues that they are not guilty of the charge 2. to do something in order to stop something being taken away or to… …   Financial and business terms

  • defend — 1 Defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack. Defend implies the use of means to ward off something that actually threatens or to repel something that actually attacks {raise a large army to defend …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • defend — mid 13c., from O.Fr. defendre (12c.) defend, resist, and directly from L. defendere ward off, protect, guard, allege in defense, from de from, away (see DE (Cf. de )) + fendere to strike, push, from PIE root *gwhen to strike, kill (see BANE (Cf …   Etymology dictionary

  • defend — [v1] protect avert, battle, beat off, bulwark, care for, cherish, conserve, contend, cover, entrench, espouse, fend off, fight, fight for, fortify, foster, garrison, guard, guard against, hedge, hold, hold at bay, house, insure, keep safe, look… …   New thesaurus

  • defend — ► VERB 1) resist an attack on; protect from harm or danger. 2) conduct the case for (the party being accused or sued) in a lawsuit. 3) attempt to justify. 4) compete to retain (a title or seat) in a contest or election. 5) (in sport) protect one… …   English terms dictionary

  • defend — [dē fend′, difend′] vt. [ME defenden < OFr defendre < L defendere, to ward off, repel < de , away, from + fendere, to strike < IE base * gwhen , to strike > Gr theinein, to kill, strike, OE guth, combat] 1. a) to guard from attack; …   English World dictionary

  • defend */*/*/ — UK [dɪˈfend] / US verb Word forms defend : present tense I/you/we/they defend he/she/it defends present participle defending past tense defended past participle defended 1) [transitive] to protect someone or something from attack Thousands of… …   English dictionary

  • defend — de|fend W3S3 [dıˈfend] v [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: defendre, from Latin defendere, from fendere to hit ] 1.) [I and T] to do something in order to protect someone or something from being attacked ▪ a struggle to defend our homeland… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • defend — de|fend [ dı fend ] verb *** ▸ 1 protect from attack ▸ 2 speak to support someone/something ▸ 3 prevent something from failing ▸ 4 in law ▸ 5 try to win again ▸ 6 in sports 1. ) transitive to protect someone or something from attack: Thousands of …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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