defend
/dɪˈfɛnd/ verb
Forms defends defending defended defendest defendedst defendeth
- verb (transitive) To ward off attacks against (something or someone).
- verb (intransitive) To ward off attacks from (something or someone).
- verb (transitive) To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.
- verb (transitive, law) To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).
- verb (sports) To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.
- verb (cricket) 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.”
- verb (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.
- verb (poker slang) To call a raise from the big blind.
Synonyms
beshield beward brood cape for fend guard preserve protect safeguard secure shelter shield ward support fend for hold fight oppose fight back fight down champion represent maintain
Antonyms
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.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To ward or fend off; to drive back or away; to repel. [A Latinism & Obs.]
- verb To prohibit; to forbid. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Etymology [F. défendre, L. defendere; de- + fendere (only in comp.) to strike; perh. akin to Gr. dint. Cf. Dint, Defense, Fend.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “defend”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details