defense

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The act of protecting someone or something from attack or harm.

   The dog growled in defense of its owner.

2. 2
   noun

   A country's military and the action of protecting it from enemies.

   The government spends billions on national defense each year.

3. 3
   noun

   An argument given to support or justify something.

   She spoke up in defense of her friend.

4. 4
   noun

   In sports, the players or efforts that try to stop the other team from scoring.

   Their strong defense kept the other team from scoring all night.

Common collocations

• defense lawyer Adjective + noun

From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa (“protection”). Displaced native Old English bewering. The verb is from the noun.

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