defense

== English == === Alternative forms === defence (UK) === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA(key): /dɪˈfɛns/ (sports): (US, often) IPA(key): /ˈdiːˌfɛns/ Rhymes: -ɛns Hyphenation: de‧fense === Etymology 1 === 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. ==== Noun ==== defense (countable and uncountable, plural defenses) (American spelling) The action of defending or protecting from attack, danger, or injury. Anything employed to oppose attack(s). (team sports) A strategy and tactics employed to prevent the other team from scoring; contrasted with offense. (team sports) The portion of a team dedicated to preventing the other team from scoring; contrasted with offense. An argument in support or justification of something. to come to someone's defense (law, by extension) The case presented by the defendant in a legal proceeding. (law, by extension) The lawyer or team thereof who presents such a case. (government, military, euphemistic) Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military. Department of Defense (obsolete) (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:) A prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance. ===== Synonyms ===== See also Thesaurus:defense ===== Antonyms ===== offense (law) prosecution ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== defense (third-person singular simple present defenses, present participle defensing, simple past and past participle defensed) (sports, chiefly US) To employ defensive tactics (so as to block). [from 1932] === Etymology 2 === From Middle English defencen, defensen, from Old French defenser or its etymon, Latin dēfēnsō. ==== Verb ==== defense (third-person singular simple present defenses, present participle defensing, simple past and past participle defensed) (now rare) To furnish with defenses; to defend, protect. === References === == Latin == === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [deːˈfẽː.sɛ] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [deˈfɛn.se] === Participle === dēfēnse vocative masculine singular of dēfēnsus == Portuguese == === Verb === defense inflection of defensar: first/third-person singular present subjunctive third-person singular imperative == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /deˈfense/ [d̪eˈfẽn.se] Rhymes: -ense Syllabification: de‧fen‧se === Verb === defense inflection of defensar: first/third-person singular present subjunctive third-person singular imperative