defend

defend
[[t]dɪfe̱nd[/t]]
♦♦
defends, defending, defended
1) VERB If you defend someone or something, you take action in order to protect them.

[V n] Every man who could fight was now committed to defend the ridge...

[V n] His courage in defending religious and civil rights inspired many outside the church...

[V pron-refl] They would have killed him if he had not defended himself...

[V pron-refl against n] In 1991 he and his friends defended themselves against some white racist thugs who set upon them for no other reason than their skin colour. [Also V n against n]

2) VERB If you defend someone or something when they have been criticized, you argue in support of them.

[V n] Clarence's move was unpopular, but Matt had to defend it, like he defended all of Clarence's decisions, right or wrong...

[V pron-refl against n] The author defends herself against charges of racism by noting that blacks are only one of her targets...

[V n against n] Police chiefs strongly defended police conduct against a wave of criticism. [Also V pron-refl]

3) VERB When a lawyer defends a person who has been accused of something, the lawyer argues on their behalf in a court of law that the charges are not true.

[V n] ...a lawyer who defended political prisoners during the military regime...

[V n against n] He has hired a lawyer to defend him against the allegations...

Guy Powell, defending, told London's Marlborough Street magistrates: `It's a sad and disturbing case.'

4) VERB When a sports player plays in the tournament which they won the previous time it was held, you can say that they are defending their title. [JOURNALISM]

[V n] Torrence expects to defend her title successfully in the next Olympics...

[V-ing] India had to struggle to beat defending champions South Korea 2-0.


English dictionary. 2008.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу
Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Defend — De*fend (d[ e]*f[e^]nd ), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Defended}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Defending}.] [F. d[ e]fendre, L. defendere; de + fendere (only in comp.) to strike; perh. akin to Gr. qei nein to strike, and E. dint. Cf. {Dint}, {Defense}, {Fend}.] 1.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • defend — de·fend vt 1: to drive danger or attack away from using a weapon to defend oneself 2: to act as attorney for (a defendant) appointed to defend the accused 3: to deny or oppose the rights of a plaintiff in regard to (a suit or claim) intend to… …   Law dictionary

  • defend — de‧fend [dɪˈfend] verb [transitive] LAW 1. if a lawyer defends someone charged with a crime, he or she represents that person and argues that they are not guilty of the charge 2. to do something in order to stop something being taken away or to… …   Financial and business terms

  • defend — 1 Defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack. Defend implies the use of means to ward off something that actually threatens or to repel something that actually attacks {raise a large army to defend …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • defend — mid 13c., from O.Fr. defendre (12c.) defend, resist, and directly from L. defendere ward off, protect, guard, allege in defense, from de from, away (see DE (Cf. de )) + fendere to strike, push, from PIE root *gwhen to strike, kill (see BANE (Cf …   Etymology dictionary

  • defend — [v1] protect avert, battle, beat off, bulwark, care for, cherish, conserve, contend, cover, entrench, espouse, fend off, fight, fight for, fortify, foster, garrison, guard, guard against, hedge, hold, hold at bay, house, insure, keep safe, look… …   New thesaurus

  • defend — ► VERB 1) resist an attack on; protect from harm or danger. 2) conduct the case for (the party being accused or sued) in a lawsuit. 3) attempt to justify. 4) compete to retain (a title or seat) in a contest or election. 5) (in sport) protect one… …   English terms dictionary

  • defend — [dē fend′, difend′] vt. [ME defenden < OFr defendre < L defendere, to ward off, repel < de , away, from + fendere, to strike < IE base * gwhen , to strike > Gr theinein, to kill, strike, OE guth, combat] 1. a) to guard from attack; …   English World dictionary

  • defend */*/*/ — UK [dɪˈfend] / US verb Word forms defend : present tense I/you/we/they defend he/she/it defends present participle defending past tense defended past participle defended 1) [transitive] to protect someone or something from attack Thousands of… …   English dictionary

  • defend — de|fend W3S3 [dıˈfend] v [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: defendre, from Latin defendere, from fendere to hit ] 1.) [I and T] to do something in order to protect someone or something from being attacked ▪ a struggle to defend our homeland… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • defend — de|fend [ dı fend ] verb *** ▸ 1 protect from attack ▸ 2 speak to support someone/something ▸ 3 prevent something from failing ▸ 4 in law ▸ 5 try to win again ▸ 6 in sports 1. ) transitive to protect someone or something from attack: Thousands of …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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