Defense
[dɪ'fens] or [dɪ'fɛns]
Definition
(noun.) the act of defending someone or something against attack or injury; 'a good boxer needs a good defense'; 'defense against hurricanes is an urgent problem'.
(noun.) protection from harm; 'sanitation is the best defense against disease'.
(noun.) (military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies; 'they died in the defense of Stalingrad'; 'they were developed for the defense program'.
(noun.) a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him; 'he gave evidence for the defense'.
(noun.) the justification for some act or belief; 'he offered a persuasive defense of the theory'.
(noun.) an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack; 'he joined the defense against invasion'.
(noun.) the defendant and his legal advisors collectively; 'the defense called for a mistrial'.
(noun.) (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring; 'his teams are always good on defense'.
Typist: Waldo--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) Alt. of Defence
(v. t.) To furnish with defenses; to fortify.
Inputed by Lilly
Synonyms and Antonyms
SYN:Resistance, protection, vindication, plea, justification, excuse, rampart,bulwark, apology, shelter, guard
ANT:Abandonment, surrender, betrayal, exposure
Checked by Curtis
Examples
- But I should not offer the evidence for the prosecution and leave the defense unheard. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- The coast defense artillery consists of the 8-, 10-, 12- and 16-inch guns and the 12-inch mortars. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- I may not wed the man who slays my husband, even in self-defense. Edgar Rice Burroughs. A Princess of Mars.
- I make that statement in self-defense; there let it stop. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- William James might also be cited for his defense of those beliefs that are beyond the realm of proof. Walter Lippmann. A Preface to Politics.
- But we had adopted a new code--it was millions for defense, but not a cent for bucksheesh. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- But we have never fought in defense except when our town was taken. Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom The Bell Tolls.
- This repulsive pillow was her especial property, being used as a weapon of defense, a barricade, or a stern preventive of too much slumber. Louisa May Alcott. Little Women.
- I think, though, that Mayor Seidel's defense would by itself make this experiment memorable. Walter Lippmann. A Preface to Politics.
- Jane shuddered and looked fearfully up at the giant figure beside her, for she knew that he meant the great anthropoid he had killed in her defense. Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
- It is known that against such weapons of offense no fortifications can last and that the employment of such weapons has forced both armies to depend on their trenches as their main defense. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- The substance of some lectures in defense of Christianity, in courses endowed by the will of Robert Boyle, made Franklin a Deist. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
- It is a matter of record that chattel slavery in this country was deduced from Biblical injunction, that the universities furnished brains for its defense. Walter Lippmann. A Preface to Politics.
- He aided in the defense of his native city against the Roman s in 212 B.C,and devised war-engines with which to repel the besiegers. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
- For naval purposes the 14-inch gun is the largest now used in American battleships, but in the United States coast defense forts, 16-inch guns are installed. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- The largest guns of our battleships are of 13 inch calibre, and about 40 feet long, but larger ones are employed for sea coast defenses. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
- These were the natural defenses of his body, but what were they against the teeth, the claws and the tremendous muscles of his enemy? Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
Edited by Jeanne