Defense

Definition of Defense

De`fense´

n.	1.	The act of defending, or the state of being defended; protection, as from violence or danger. In cases of defense 't is best to weigh The enemy more mighty than he seems. - Shak.
	2.	That which defends or protects; anything employed to oppose attack, ward off violence or danger, or maintain security; a guard; a protection. War would arise in defense of the right. - Tennyson. God, the widow's champion and defense. - Shak.
	3.	Protecting plea; vindication; justification. Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense. - Acts xxii. 1.
	4.	(Law) The defendant's answer or plea; an opposing or denial of the truth or validity of the plaintiff's or prosecutor's case; the method of proceeding adopted by the defendant to protect himself against the plaintiff's action.
	5.	Act or skill in making defense; defensive plan or policy; practice in self defense, as in fencing, boxing, etc. A man of great defense. - Spenser. By how much defense is better than no skill. - Shak.
	6.	Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance. Severe defenses . . . against wearing any linen under a certain breadth. - Sir W. Temple.
v. t.	1.	To furnish with defenses; to fortify. Better manned and more strongly defensed. - Hales.

Related Words

aegis, answer, apologetic, apologetics, apologia, apology, arch dam, argument, argumentation, armament, armor, arms, backfire, backstop, bamboo curtain, bank, bar, barrage, barrier, bear-trap dam, beaver dam, bicker, bickering, boom, breakwater, breastwork, brick wall, buffer, bulkhead, casuistry, cofferdam, comeback, confutation, contention, contraremonstrance, controversy, counteraccusation, counterattack, counterblast, counterblow, countercharge, counterclaim, counterfire, counterinsurgency, countermeasure, counterreply, counterrevolution, counterstatement, counterstep, counterstroke, cover, dam, demurrer, denial, dike, disputation, dispute, ditch, earthwork, embankment, exception, exculpation, excuse, explanation, eye, fastness, fence, flyting, fortress, gate, gravity dam, groin, guard, hassle, hubbub, hydraulic-fill dam, iron curtain, jam, jetty, justification, leaping weir, lee, levee, litigation, logjam, logomachy, milldam, moat, mole, mound, munitions, objection, paper war, parapet, passage of arms, plea, pleading, pleadings, polemic, polemics, portcullis, preservation, protective custody, rationalization, rebuttal, rebutter, refuge, refutation, rejoinder, replication, reply, response, retort, return, rhubarb, riposte, roadblock, rock-fill dam, safeguard, safekeeping, safety, seawall, security, set-to, shade, shadow, shelter, shield, shutter dam, special demurrer, special pleading, statement of defense, stone wall, stronghold, surrebuttal, surrebutter, surrejoinder, verbal engagement, wall, war of words, ward, watchful eye, weaponry, weapons, weir, wicket dam, work, wrangling

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Defectibility
Defectible
Defection
Defectionist
Defectious
Defective
Defectuosity
Defectuous
Defedation
Defence
defenceless
Defend
Defendable
Defendant
Defendee
Defender
Defendress
defenestrate
defenestration
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-Defense-
Defense in abatement
Defenseless
Defenser
Defensibility
Defensible
Defensibleness
Defensive
Defensive proteid
Defensively
Defensor
Defensory
Defer
Deference
Deferent
Deferential
Deferentially
Deferment
Deferrer
Defervescence
Defeudalize

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