defender

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Someone who protects a person, place, or thing from harm.

   He became a fierce defender of free speech.

2. 2
   noun

   In team sports, a player whose main job is to stop the other team from scoring.

   The defender blocked the striker's shot at the last second.

3. 3
   noun

   A lawyer who represents people accused of crimes.

   A public defender was assigned to handle her case.

From Middle English defender, deffender, defendere, defendour, defendoure, partly from Anglo-Norman defendour, from Old French defendëor; partly from Middle English defenden + -ere, equivalent to defend + -er.

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