defend 
I In plague i ,n. ' in Amsterdam, niiil we in fear of il 
here, which li'i'l '';/' ii<l. l''l".l", Diary, II. 6ft 
Tllr lic-j^al's \\crc Illllnrl "||> (spite of notice lioaltU '/ 
I- initial all mcntlicity). I'," ;/'* Mi':/. 
3. To ward off attack from; giuird against as- 
saidl or injury; sliirld: as, \i>difeud\\. fortress. 
ll"\\ Illlllll trcllttlC 'Mil kl |ll III' III tllilt StoU'lell tllUH to 
'/' I- n'f> II trelltlie'.' 
Wliclif, Select Works (ed. Ariinlil), I. 405. 
I pray ,\ou'. and n-ijii\ic IT thr IVilh thai yc lnr owen, 
1li;it \c In Ipc nir tu ayfimeU my loliilc >i-l he nir ;u>sawte 
trithwatn. .i/.T/m(li. K. T. s.). i. ra. 
I II. ..... seel ..... Hi' (sailll inn- Author) t:ikr a nun alille, 
and .'. /. n./ linn < !h with this his prisoner, an it were 
v, ith a Target. l'ui-<-ttn>-. I'ilui ima^e, p. 840. 
There ant.-,!' tn '/'/<'m/ Israel Tula the- KOIL of Puah. 
.lnil', r cs \. I. 
4. To vindicate; uphold; maintain liy force, ar- 
gument, or evidence: as, to defend one's rights 
and privileges; to defend a cause or claim at 
law. 
Noble patricians, patrons of my right, 
l>i't> n-t the justice of my cause with arms. 
Milk., Tit. And., i. I. 
We use alsur. almost at the end of everie word, to wryte 
an idle e. This sum defeiul not to be idle, because it af- 
h'rli -s the vollal before tile consonant. 
A. Iliinir, Orthographic (E. E. T. S.), p. 21. 
Hut for the execution of King Charles in particular, I 
will not now undertake inilrfrud it. 
Mtli-intliti/, Conversation between Cowley and Milton. 
Thou might'st ift'fewt 
The thesis which thy words intend 
That to lie-in implies to end. 
Tennyson, Two Voices. 
= Syn. 3. I'roleet, Shelter, etc. (see keep), guard, shield. 
4. Maintain, r/m//Vn/r, etc. Seea**''/v. 
II. intrant!. In law, to make opposition ; en- 
ter or make defense : as, the party comes into 
court, defends, and says. 
\Vhen the Manpiise Dcsmoines received ... a letter 
.inn. .inn in.' that the defendants in the case of Desmoines 
\s. l.aiic:i-.lcr ilccliiicil to (/.;/'.'/(./. she iittri'c.! ;i sharp cry 
ami dropped the letter. J. Hawthorne, Dust, p. 387. 
defendable (de-feu 'da-bl), a. [< defend + 
-Wr.] Capable of being defended. 
defendant (do - fen ' dant), a. and n. [< OF. 
defendant, deffendant, !'. defendant, ppr. of dc- 
feHdre, defend: see defend and -anti.] I. a. 
If. Defensive; proper for defense. 
To line and new repair our towns of war, 
With men of courage, and with means defendant. 
Shalt., Hen. V., il. 4. 
2. In law, making defense ; being iu the atti- 
tude of a defendant : as, the party defendant. 
Now growling, spluttering, wauling, such a clutter, 
'Tis just like puss ih'/f infant in a gutter. 
Dri/den, King and Queen, Epil. 
II. H. If. One who defends against an assail- 
ant, or against the approach of evil or danger ; 
a defender. 
This is the day apjwiinted for the combat, 
And ready are the appellant and defendant. 
Shak., -2 Hen. VI., ii. 3. 
II ifih towers, out of which the Romans might more con- 
veniently fight with the ilrfenilants ou the wall. 
/.'/'. Wilkins, Mathematical Magic. 
1601 
these are of H different tincture : as, a boar's head 
sable, (trt'i mill or. See liiH'tnit, ttixkril, ttntK't. 
defensablet, " An ohsulete form of iii-frnaiiiir. 
defensative (de-fen'sa-tiv). n. [< L. difrn.^i- 
IIIK, ]>p. of tlfffHXflt'f , freq. of lit ji lull r<. defetld 
(see difeiixf', r. /.), + K. -ire.] That which 
serves to defend or protect; a protection; u 
guard ; a defense. 
A very unsafe (/.;/< ,/^r'n.' it i- ai:ain.>t the fury of (he 
lion . . . which Puny doth place in cock broth. 
Sir T. llrniriif, Vulir. KIT. 
lilts is that part of prudence which is the <l'\l'> /;*/////. 
or guard of a Christian. Jrr. Taylor (ed. 1835), I. 87:i. 
defense, defence (de-fens'), . [< M K. d,-f< ., 
ilefnin, ilij'i-lK-r, ilijfeiixr, < (>F. ilij'iiixi, iliffi-llsr, 
(.. ill /'ilix, deffeiia, deafen*. 111., Inod. F. de/'i iixi', 
f., = Pr. Hp. Pg. defenxa = It. difentui, < L\J. 
defenxa, defense, < L. defendere, pp. defenxux, 
defend: see defend. The spelling witli -e< . ill-- 
fence, is rather more common than the ety- 
mologically correct spelling defense, and in the 
apheretic fonn fence (q. v.) it is now used ex- 
clusively: see -ce.] 1. The act of shielding 
or guarding from attack or injury ; the act of 
resisting an attack or assault. 
llernaud Leillo was slaine in defence of a fort. 
Coryat, Crudities, I. 22. 
On Saturday night ttiey made their approches, open'd 
trenches, rais'd batteries, tooke the counterscarp and rav- 
elin after a stout defence. Evelyn, Diary, Aug. 21, 1674. 
2. The act of maintaining, supporting, or vin- 
dicating by force or argument. 
And it was but a dream, yet it lighten'd my despair 
When I thought that a war would arise in defence of the 
right. Tennyson, Maud, xxviii. 2. 
3. Something that repels or guards against 
attack, violence, danger, or injury; a protec- 
tion; a safeguard; a security; a fortification. 
Because of his strength will I wait upon thee : for God 
is my defence. Pa. lix. i. 
4. A speech or writing intended to repel or 
disprove a charge or an accusation ; a vindica- 
tion ; an apology. 
Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence. 
Acts xxii. 1. 
The defence of the Long Parliament is comprised in the 
dying words of its victim. 
Macaulay, Uallam's ('oust. Hist. 
5. In Ulto : (a) The method adopted by a per- 
son against whom legal proceedings have been 
taken for defending himself against them. 
More specifically (ft) The opposing or denial 
of the charge or cause of action, or of some es- 
sential element in it, as distinguished from op- 
position by a counter-claim. 
Defence, in its true legal sense, signifies not a justifica- 
tion, protection, or guard, which is now its popular sig- 
nification ; hut merely an opposing or denial (from the 
French verb, defender) of the truth or validity of the com- 
plaint. Rlackstmut, Com., III. 20. 
6f. Defiance ; resistance ; offense. 
What defence, has thou done to our dere goddes? 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2692. 
Human invention 
Could not instruct me t.i i!i>|.. .-. I in u In .|c 
She could be mole ill h n<-<--l from all men s 
Shiflni. Ilinl in a ( 
2. In law, a party sued in a court of law, whe- 7t. A prohibition. 
ther in a civil or a criminal proceeding; one who 
is summoned into court, that he may have 
opportunity to defend, deny, or oppose the de- 
mand or charge, and maintain his own right, 
defendee (de-fen-de'), . [< defend + -ec 1 .] One 
who is defeiided. [Rare.] 
defender (de-fen'der), n. [< ME. defendniii; 
difeiidot; < OK. defendeor, drfendeitr. F. defen- 
ili-in- (= I'r. defendedor = OSp. Pg. ilefendidnr 
Severe defence* may be made against wearing any linen 
tinder a certain breadth. Sir W. Temjtle. 
8. The science of defending against attack by 
force of arms ; skill in defending from danger 
by means of weapons or of the fists; specifi- 
cally, fencing or boxing. 
= It. difenditnre), defender, < ilrfi itdre, defend: 
see <lefe>i<l.~\ 1. One who defends; one who 
protects from injury ; a champion. 
Men always Knew that when force and injury was offer- 
ed, they might. lie '/'/' m/c/'x of themselves. 
//.jlvr, Eccles. Polity, i. 10. 
2. One who maintains, supports, or vindicates 
by force or argument. 3. In Scots law, the 
defendant; the party against whom the conclu- 
sions of a process or action are directed. De- 
fender Of the Faith (translation of Latin Fidri Defen- 
MIT), a title peculiar to the sovereigns of England, con- 
Id re. I !y I'nj ic I, co V ..n Henry VI II. in 1.Y21, as a reward 
for writing against Luther, confirmed by Pope Clement 
VII. and withdrawn later, but restored by Parliament. 
and used by the sovereigns of England ever since. Ab- 
breviated I). /'. and (for the Latin form Fiilri Defenxor) 
defendress (do-fen 'dres), n. [< OF.defenderexxe, 
dijfeiiderrexne, < defendenr, defender: see de- 
fniiter and -<'..] A female defender. 
Tit.- tjnei lie's niaicstics vsiiall stile of F.nyland, France, 
and Ireland, tlffi>n<ln.<>' of the faith, Ac. 
.sv.'K', tjiieen Elizabeth, an. 1588. 
defendu (de-fen'du), a. [OF., pp. of defemlre. 
defend.] In her., having defenses: used when 
" He is," (said he) " a man of great defence, 
Expert in battel and in deedes of armes." 
SiKiuer, F. tj., V. il. 6. 
Henry VIII. made the professors of this art a company, 
or corporation, by letters patent, wherein the art is inti- 
tuled the Noble Science of Defence. 
The Third University of England, quoted in Strutt's 
[Sports and Pastimes, p. 365. 
9. i>l. In her., the natural weapons of an ani- 
mal used as a bearing, as the tusks of a boar, 
or the like.- Angle of defense. See an<rtr. Coat 
of defense. Seefunr-'. Council of defense. Seen,,,,, 
cit. Defense en droit, in French-Canadian laic, a de- 
fense on the law ; a demurrer ; a denial that the plaintiff's 
allegations are sufficient to show a cause of action. D4- 
fenae en fait, in French-Canadian lam, a defense on the 
facts ; a general denial of the allegations of the plaintiffs 
complaint, or a specific denial of some of them. Defense 
au fond en fait, in b'rrn<-h-<'nnn<lianlatr, a general ilc- 
fensc of the allegations of plaintitf's complaint. Defense 
month. Same as fence-month. Dermal defenses. See 
dermal.- Dilatory defense, equitable defense, etc. 
See the adjectives. Dutch defense. See Dutch. Line 
Of defense, (a)ililit.: (l) A continuous fortified line, or a 
sii, cession of fortitled points. (2) The distance from the 
salient of a bastion to the opposite flank. (A) A method or 
course to be pursued in conducting a defense of any kind. 
To be In a posture of defense, to i,e prepared to 
resist an opponent or an enemy with all the means of 
defense in one s power. 
defenset, defencet (de-fens'), <' t. [< ME. de- 
' . < OF. dejeuner, dejfenser, defcueer = Pr. 
defenseless, defenceless (<le-fens'ies),n. [<.d?- 
J'euxe, defence, + -lexn.~\ Being without defense; 
without means of repelling assault or injury. 
Defi'if'li >* ami niiarin'il, cxjHwe my Life. 
Conyrriv, tr. of Ovid's Art of Love. 
defenselessly, defencelessly (de-fens'les-li), 
mlr. In a defenseless or unprotected manner. 
defenselessness, defencelessness (de-fens'fes- 
nes), n. The state of being defenseless or with- 
out protection : as, the dcfenseltxsnesx of a man's 
condition. 
defensert, defencert, n. A defender. 
If I may know any of their fautors, comforters, counsel- 
lers, itr ilefi'tu'iTH. Foxe, Martyrs, p. 51*1. 
defensibility (de-fen-si-bil'i-ti), n. [< defensi- 
ble : see -WHltjr.] C'apabilityof being defended ; 
defensibleness. 
defensible (de-feii'si-bl), a. [Formerly also 
defencible (= ME. defensible, < OF. dij'i tisuhli . 
deffensable, < ML. defensabilis); = Sp. defensible 
= Pg. defensirel = It. defensible, < LL. defenni- 
bilis, (. L. defensus, pp. of defendere, defend: see 
defend.] 1. Capable of being defended: as, a 
defensible city. 
Making the place which nature had already fortified, 
much more by art drfencilile. 
S]eit, Henry II., IX. vi. i WJ. 
This part of the palace 
Is yet defensible ; we may make It good 
Till your iwwers rescue us. 
Fletcher (and another), False One, v. 1. 
2. That may be vindicated, maintained, or jus- 
tified : as, a def eligible cause. 
The two latter . . . have been writers of prose, before 
whom the poet takes precedence, by inherited and defen- 
sible prerogative. Stedman, Viet. Poets, p. 121. 
3f. Contributing to defense ; capable of defend- 
ing; prepared to defend. 
Come ageyn to ther Beruice, 
And cilery man in defensable wise. 
Generjlile* (E. E. T. S.), I. 1888. 
And that enery citezen or other wtyn the cite haue de- 
fensable wepyn w'yn hym self, for kepynge of the pease. 
Knylish Gilds (E. E. T. S.), p. 388. 
Where nothing lint the sound of Hotspur's name 
Did seem defensible. fihak., 2 Hen. IV., il. 3. 
Defensible casemate. See casematei . 
defensibleness (de-fen'si-bl-nes), n. Defensi- 
bility. 
The defeiisibletifiitK of religion. Priestley. 
defensiblyt, adv. [ME.; < defensible.] With 
arms of defense. 
Eche of you in your owne persones tlffensibly araied. 
Patton Letters, II. 422. 
defensiont, . [Early mod. E. also defencion; < 
OF. defi -union, deffension = Sp. defennion = Pg. 
defensSo = It. defensione, difensione, < ML. de- 
fensio(n-), defense, < L. defendere, pp. dejenaim, 
defend: see defend, defenttc.] A defense. 
No defencion could take place, hut all went by tyrannic 
and meere extortion. Foxe, Martyrs, p. 159. 
defensive (de-fen'siv), a. and n. [< OF. defensif, 
F. defengif '= Pr. defenstu = Sp. Pg. defensiro = 
It. defennirn, difenxivo, < ML. "defensivus (fem. 
defenslra, "> OF. defensive, a fortification), < L. 
defendere, pp. defenmi.i, defend : see defend, de- 
J'ense.~] I. a. 1. Serving to defend ; proper for 
defense : as, defensive armor. 
The houses which are built are as warme and defensive 
against wind anil weather as if they were tiled and slated. 
Quoted in Cap!. John Smiths True Travels, II. 5. 
Dfftiuriw arms lay by, as useless here. 
Where massy balls the neighboring rocks do tear. 
Waller. 
2. Of the nature of defense ; consisting in re- 
sisting attack or aggression : as, defensive war, 
in distinction from offensive war, which is ag- 
gressive. 
Since, therefore, we cannot win by an offensive war, at 
least a land-war, the model of our government seems 
naturally contrived for the defensive part. 
Drydrn, Ded. of All for Love. 
3. In a state or posture to defend: as, a de- 
J'eiixire attitude. Defensive allegation. See alle- 
gallon. 
