defend

From Middle English defenden, from Old French deffendre (Modern: défendre), from Latin dēfendō (“to ward off”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈfɛnd/
• (US) IPA^(key): /dɛˈfɛnd/, /diˈfɛnd/, /dəˈfɛnd/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɛnd

defend (third-person singular simple present defends, present participle defending, simple past and past participle defended)

1. (transitive) To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard.
2. (transitive) To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.
3. (transitive, law) To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).
   • 2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in Guardian:

     Philip Miles, defending, said: "This was a single instance, there was no allegation of continuing behaviour over a long period of time."

4. (sports) To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.
5. (sports) To attempt to retain a title, or attempt to reach the same stage in a competition as one did in the previous edition of that competition.
6. (poker slang) To call a raise from the big blind.
7. (transitive, obsolete) To ward off, repel (an attack or attacker).
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.viii:

     The vertue is, that neither steele, nor stone / The stroke thereof from entrance may defend […].

8. (transitive, obsolete) To prevent, to keep (from doing something).
9. (transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To prohibit, forbid.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter ij, in Le Morte Darthur, book XVIII:

     Broder said sir launcelot wete ye wel I am ful lothe to departe oute of this realme / but the quene hath defended me soo hyhely / that me semeth she wille neuer be my good lady as she hath ben

• See also Thesaurus:defend

• attack

• defender
• defense, defence
• defensive

• fended