## Meanings
1. Someone who protects a person, place, or thing from harm.
2. In team sports, a player whose main job is to stop the other team from scoring.
3. A lawyer who represents people accused of crimes.

## Examples
- He became a fierce defender of free speech.
- The defender blocked the striker's shot at the last second.
- A public defender was assigned to handle her case.

## Derived Forms
- defenderless
- defendership
- defendress

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: defender
- Root: defendour
- Root: defendëor
- Root: defenden

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
defender comes 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. The historical chain includes Middle English defender, xno defendour, Old French defendëor, Middle English defenden. Current senses include Someone who protects a person, place, or thing from harm and In team sports, a player whose main job is to stop the other team from scoring. English relatives and later formations include defenderless, defendership, defendress.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Sports & Fitness

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defender

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