defence

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de·fence

(dĭ-fĕns′)
n. & v. Chiefly British
Variant of defense.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

defence

(dɪˈfɛns) or

defense

n
1. resistance against danger, attack, or harm; protection
2. a person or thing that provides such resistance
3. a plea, essay, speech, etc, in support of something; vindication; justification
4. (Military)
a. a country's military measures or resources
b. (as modifier): defence spending.
5. (Law) law a defendant's denial of the truth of the allegations or charge against him or her
6. (Law) law the defendant and his or her legal advisers collectively. Compare prosecution
7. (General Sporting Terms) sport
a. the action of protecting oneself, one's goal, or one's allotted part of the playing area against an opponent's attacks
b. the method of doing this
c. the defence the players in a team whose function is to do this
8. (American Football) American football (usually preceded by the)
a. the team that does not have possession of the ball
b. the members of a team that play in such circumstances
9. (Psychoanalysis) psychoanal See defence mechanism
10. (Fortifications) (plural) fortifications
[C13: from Old French, from Late Latin dēfensum, past participle of dēfendere to defend]
deˈfenceless, deˈfenseless adj
deˈfencelessly, deˈfenselessly adv
deˈfencelessness, deˈfenselessness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

de•fense

(dɪˈfɛns or, esp. for 7,9, ˈdi fɛns)

n., v. -fensed, -fens•ing. n.
1. resistance against attack; protection.
2. something that defends, as a fortification or medication.
3. the defending of a cause or the like by speech, etc.: to speak in defense of a cause.
4. the arms production of a nation: spending billions on defense.
5. a speech, etc., in vindication.
6.
a. the defendant's answer to the charge or claim made by the plaintiff.
b. the strategy adopted by a defendant for defending against the plaintiff's charge.
c. a defendant together with counsel.
8.
a. the tactics of defending oneself or one's goal against attack.
b. the team attempting to thwart the attack of the team having the ball or puck.
c. the players of such a team or their positions.
v.t.
9. to defend against (an opponent, play, etc.).
[1250–1300; Middle English < Old French < Late Latin dēfēnsa a forbidding, derivative of Latin dēfendere to defend]
de•fense′less, adj.
de•fense′less•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun 1. defence - (psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
unconscious process, process - a mental process that you are not directly aware of; "the process of denial"
psychiatry, psychological medicine, psychopathology - the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders
compensation - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that conceals your undesirable shortcomings by exaggerating desirable behaviors
conversion - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism represses emotional conflicts which are then converted into physical symptoms that have no organic basis
denial - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that denies painful thoughts
displacement - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that transfers affect or reaction from the original object to some more acceptable one
idealisation, idealization - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that splits something you are ambivalent about into two representations--one good and one bad
intellectualisation, intellectualization - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism that uses reasoning to block out emotional stress and conflict
isolation - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which memory of an unacceptable act or impulse is separated from the emotion originally associated with it
projection - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your own traits and emotions are attributed to someone else
psychoanalytic process - a process that is assumed to occur in psychoanalytic theory
rationalisation, rationalization - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening
reaction formation - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously develops attitudes and behavior that are the opposite of unacceptable repressed desires and impulses and serve to conceal them; "his strict morality is just a reaction formation to hide his sexual drive"
regression - (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which you flee from reality by assuming a more infantile state
repression - (psychiatry) the classical defense mechanism that protects you from impulses or ideas that would cause anxiety by preventing them from becoming conscious
2. [画像:defence - (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring]defence - (sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring; "his teams are always good on defense"
athletics, sport - an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
team, squad - a cooperative unit (especially in sports)
offence, offense - the team that has the ball (or puck) and is trying to score
3. defence - the defendant and his legal advisors collectively; "the defense called for a mistrial"
aggregation, collection, accumulation, assemblage - several things grouped together or considered as a whole
4. [画像:defence - an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack]defence - an organization of defenders that provides resistance against attack; "he joined the defense against invasion"
organization, organisation - a group of people who work together
bastion - a group that defends a principle; "a bastion against corruption"; "the last bastion of communism"
5. defence - the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions; "his refutation of the charges was short and persuasive"; "in defense he said the other man started it"
answer - the speech act of replying to a question
confutation - the speech act of refuting conclusively
rebuttal - the speech act of refuting by offering a contrary contention or argument
6. defence - the justification for some act or belief; "he offered a persuasive defense of the theory"
justification - a statement in explanation of some action or belief
apologia, apology - a formal written defense of something you believe in strongly
alibi - (law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question
exculpation, excuse, self-justification, alibi - a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.; "he kept finding excuses to stay"; "every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job"; "his transparent self-justification was unacceptable"
7. defence - a structure used to defend against attack; "the artillery battered down the defenses"
cheval-de-frise, chevaux-de-frise - defensive structure consisting of a movable obstacle composed of barbed wire or spikes attached to a wooden frame; used to obstruct cavalry
fortification, munition - defensive structure consisting of walls or mounds built around a stronghold to strengthen it
fortress, fort - a fortified defensive structure
line of defence, line of defense - defensive structure consisting of a barrier that can be employed for defense against attack
outwork - subsidiary defensive structure lying outside the main fortified area; "the outworks of the castle"
stronghold, fastness - a strongly fortified defensive structure
structure, construction - a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts; "the structure consisted of a series of arches"; "she wore her hair in an amazing construction of whirls and ribbons"
8. defence - a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him; "he gave evidence for the defense"
due process, due process of law - (law) the administration of justice according to established rules and principles; based on the principle that a person cannot be deprived of life or liberty or property without appropriate legal procedures and safeguards
trial - (law) the determination of a person's innocence or guilt by due process of law; "he had a fair trial and the jury found him guilty"; "most of these complaints are settled before they go to trial"
entrapment - a defense that claims the defendant would not have broken the law if not tricked into doing it by law enforcement officials
law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"
9. defence - (military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies; "they died in the defense of Stalingrad"; "they were developed for the defense program"
umbrella - a formation of military planes maintained over ground operations or targets; "an air umbrella over England"
military action, action - a military engagement; "he saw action in Korea"
air defense - defensive measures designed to destroy attacking enemy aircraft or missiles or to nullify their effectiveness
stand - a defensive effort; "the army made a final stand at the Rhone"
hasty defence, hasty defense - a defense organized while in contact with the enemy or when time is limited
deliberate defence, deliberate defense - a defense organized before contact is made with the enemy and while time for organization is available; usually includes a fortified zone (with pillboxes) and communication systems
biodefence, biodefense, biological defence, biological defense - procedures involved in taking defensive measures against attacks using biological agents
chemical defence, chemical defense - procedures involved in taking defensive measures against attacks using chemical agents
minelaying, mining - laying explosive mines in concealed places to destroy enemy personnel and equipment
armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"
10. defence - protection from harm; "sanitation is the best defense against disease"
protection - the activity of protecting someone or something; "the witnesses demanded police protection"
11. defence - the act of defending someone or something against attack or injury; "a good boxer needs a good defense"; "defense against hurricanes is an urgent problem"
protection - the activity of protecting someone or something; "the witnesses demanded police protection"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

defence

U.S. defense
noun
1. protection, cover, security, guard, shelter, refuge, resistance, safeguard, immunity The land was flat, giving no scope for defence.
2. armaments, weapons, deterrents, the military, the army, the navy, the air force Twenty-eight per cent of the federal budget is spent on defense.
3. argument, explanation, excuse, plea, apology, justification, vindication, rationalization, apologia, exoneration, exculpation, extenuation a spirited defence of the government's economic progress
4. plea (Law) case, claim, pleading, declaration, testimony, denial, alibi, vindication, rebuttal His defence was that records were fabricated by the police.
plural noun
1. shield, barricade, fortification, bastion, buttress, rampart, bulwark, fastness Soldiers are beginning to strengthen the city's defences.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
دِفاعدِفَاع وِقايَه
obranaochranaobhajoba
forsvarværn
puolustus
obrana
vörn
防御
수비
apsigynimasbeginklisbejėgisgynybapasiteisinimas
aizsardzībaaizstāvēšanaaizstāvība
obrana
obramba
försvar
การป้องกัน
savunma savunma yöntemikorunma aracımüdafaa
sự phòng thủ

defence

defense (US) [dɪˈfens]
A. N (all senses) → defensa f
as a defence againstcomo defensa contra
the body's defences against diseaselas defensas del organismo contra la enfermedad
the case for the defenceel argumento de la defensa
counsel for the defenceabogado/a m/f defensor(a)
Department of Defense (US) = Ministry of Defence
in his defenceen su defensa
what have you to say in your own defence?¿qué tiene usted que decir or alegar en defensa propia?
in defence of sthen defensa de algo
to come out in defence ofsalir en defensa de
Minister of Defence (Brit) → Ministro m de Defensa
Ministry of Defence (Brit) → Ministerio m de Defensa
Secretary (of State) for Defence (Brit)
Secretary of Defense (US) → Ministro m de Defensa
witness for the defencetestigo mf de cargo, testigo mf de la defensa
B. CPD [policy, strategy, costs] → de defensa
defence counsel Nabogado/a m/f defensor(a)
defence forces NPLfuerzas fpl defensivas
defence mechanism Nmecanismo m de defensa
defence spending Ngastos mpl de defensa
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

defence

[dɪˈfɛns] (British) defense [ˈdiːfɛns] (US)
n
(= protection) [people] → défense f
defence against sth [+ disease, recession, attack] → défense contre qch
to come to sb's defence → prendre la défense de qn
to spring to the defence of sb → prendre la défense de qn
in defence of → en défense de
[country] → défense f Ministry of Defence, Department of Defense
(LAW) (in court) (= case) → défense f
to conduct one's own defence → assurer sa propre défense
witness for the defence → témoin m à décharge
(LAW) (= defending lawyers) the defence → la défense
(= justification) → justification f
in defence of sth [speak, write] → en défense de qch
in defence of sb → à la défense de qn
(SPORT)défense f
modif
[force, system] → de défense
defence budget → budget m de la défense
defence spending → dépenses fpl militaires defence secretary
(LAW) [counsel, lawyer, attorney] → de la défense
defence witness → témoin m de la défense defences
npl
[country] → défenses fpl
[body] → défenses fpl
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

defence

, (US) defense
n
no plVerteidigung f no pl; in his defencezu seiner Verteidigung ; to come to somebody’s defencejdn verteidigen ; to put up or make a spirited defence of somebody/somethingjdn/etw mutig verteidigen ; his only defence was ...seine einzige Rechtfertigung war ...
(= form of protection)Abwehr- or Schutzmaßnahme f; (Mil: = fortification etc) → Befestigung f, → Verteidigungsanlage f; as a defence againstals Schutz gegen; his defences were downer war wehrlos ; she caught me when my defences were downsie erwischte mich in einem schwachen Augenblick (inf)
(Jur, Sport) → Verteidigung f; to play in defencein der Verteidigung spielen

defence

, (US) defense:
defence counsel
nVerteidiger(in) m(f)
defence expenditure
defenceless, (US) defenseless
adjschutzlos
defenceman
n pl <-men> (Ice hockey) → Verteidiger m
defence mechanism
n (Physiol, Psych) → Abwehrmechanismus m
defence minister
nVerteidigungsminister(in) m(f)
defence system
n (Biol) → Abwehrsystem nt
defence witness
nZeuge m/Zeugin fder Verteidigung, Entlastungszeuge(in) m(f)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

defence

defense (Am) [dɪˈfɛns]
1. ndifesa
in defence of → in difesa di
in his defence → in sua difesa
the Ministry of Defence (Brit) the Department of Defense (Am) → il Ministero della Difesa
the case for the defence → la difesa
witness for the defence → teste m/f a difesa
the body's defences against disease → le difese naturali dell'organismo contro la malattia
as a defence against → per ripararsi da, come difesa contro
2. adj (policy, strategy) → di difesa
defence spending spese per la difesa
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

defence

(diˈfens) (American) defense noun
1. the act or action of defending against attack. the defence of Rome; He spoke in defence of the plans. verdediging دِفاع защита defesa obrana die Verteidigung forsvar άμυνα defensa kaitse دفاع؛ حمایت puolustus défense הגנה रक्षा obrana, zaštita védelem pertahanan vörn difesa 防衛 수비 gynimas aizstāvēšana pertahankan verdediging forsvar, vern obrona دفاع defesa apă­rare оборона; защита obrana obramba odbrana försvar การป้องกัน savunma 防衛 захист حملے سے مدافعت کی کارروائی sự phòng thủ 防卫
2. the method or equipment used to guard or protect. The walls will act as a defence against flooding. verdediging, beskerming, keerwerk وِقايَه защита defesa ochrana der Schutz forsvar; værn προστασία defensa kaitse, kindlustis محافظ؛ پناه suoja défense אֱמצָעִי הֲגַנָה रक्षा obrana erősítés pertahanan vörn difesa 防御物 방어 apsauga, gynyba aizsardzība pertahanan verdediging vern, forsvar ochrona حاضر پاش، ساتندوى، شخصى محافظ defesa (mijloc de) apărare защита ochrana obramba odbrana skydd, värn การป้องกัน savunma yöntemi, korunma aracı 防衛方法,防禦物 оборона; оборонна споруда دفاعی وسائل bảo vệ 防卫方法,防御物
3. a person's answer to an accusation especially in a law-court. What is your defence? verdediging, verweer دِفاع (في المَحْكَمَه) защита defesa obhajoba die Verteidigung forsvar υπεράσπιση defensa kaitsekõne دفاع puolustus défense קָו הֲגַנַה बचाव obrana na sudu védekezés pembelaan vörn difesa 弁護 변호 apsigynimas, pasiteisinimas aizstāvība pembelaan verdediging forsvar obrona دفاع defesa apărare защита obhajoba obramba odbrana försvar[stalan], svaromål ผู้แก้ต่าง savunma, müdafaa [律]辯護 захист جواب دعوی lời biện hộ (律)辩护
deˈfenceless adjective
helpless or without protection. weerloos, onbeskermd عاجِز، بِدون حِمايَه беззащитен indefeso bezbranný schutzlos forsvarsløs; hjælpeløs ανυπεράσπιστος indefenso kaitsetu بی دفاع suojaton sans défense חָסַר הֲגַנָה बेबस, रक्षाहीन nezaštićen, goloruk védtelen tak berdaya varnarlaus indifeso 無防備な 무방비의 bejėgis, beginklis neaizsargāts tidak berdaya weerloos forsvarsløs bezbronny بی دفاع indefeso fără apărare беззащитный bezbranný nezaščiten bespomoćan försvarslös ซึ่งป้องกันตัวไม่ได้ savunmasız 無防禦的,無助的 беззахисний لاچار ، نہتّا không có khả năng tự vệ 无防御的,无助的
the defence
the case on behalf of a person who is accused in a law court. the counsel for the defence. die verdediging الدِّفاع (عن المُدَّعى عَلَيْهِ) защитата defesa obhajoba die Verteidigung forsvaret υπεράσπιση κατηγορουμένου la defensa kaitse وکیل یا وکلای مدافع puolustus la défense הגנה बचाव slučaj obrane a védelem pembelaan varnaraðilar la difesa 被告側 피고 gynimas, gynyba aizstāvība pertahankan verdediging forsvar obrona د مدافع وکیل defesa apărarea защита obhajoba obramba odbrana svarandesidan การแก้ต่าง savunma 被告方,辯方 захист ملزم کا وکیل luật sư biện hộ 被告方,辩方
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

defence

دِفَاع obrana forsvar Verteidigung άμυνα defensa puolustus défense obrana difesa 防御 수비 verdediging forsvar obrona defesa защита försvar การป้องกัน savunma sự phòng thủ 防守
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
With what color of propriety could the force necessary for defense be limited by those who cannot limit the force of offense?
The attempt has awakened fully the public attention to that important subject; and has led to investigations which must terminate in a thorough and universal conviction, not only that the constitution has provided the most effectual guards against danger from that quarter, but that nothing short of a Constitution fully adequate to the national defense and the preservation of the Union, can save America from as many standing armies as it may be split into States or Confederacies, and from such a progressive augmentation, of these establishments in each, as will render them as burdensome to the properties and ominous to the liberties of the people, as any establishment that can become necessary, under a united and efficient government, must be tolerable to the former and safe to the latter.
The power of levying and borrowing money, being the sinew of that which is to be exerted in the national defense, is properly thrown into the same class with it.
That situation consists in the best possible state of defense, and necessarily depends on the government, the arms, and the resources of the country.
It can apply the resources and power of the whole to the defense of any particular part, and that more easily and expeditiously than State governments or separate confederacies can possibly do, for want of concert and unity of system.
If one was attacked, would the others fly to its succor, and spend their blood and money in its defense? Would there be no danger of their being flattered into neutrality by its specious promises, or seduced by a too great fondness for peace to decline hazarding their tranquillity and present safety for the sake of neighbors, of whom perhaps they have been jealous, and whose importance they are content to see diminished?
The closing questions put to the under-housemaid and the nurse revealed for the first time what the nature of the defense was to be.
Here, then, in spite of the negative answers, was the plan of the defense made dimly visible for the first time to the jury and to the audience.
"That is what we say, my lord, and what we propose to prove as the foundation of the defense. We cannot dispute the medical evidence which declares that Mrs.
They would endeavor to supply the inferiority of population and resources by a more regular and effective system of defense, by disciplined troops, and by fortifications.
These armies being, in the first case, rarely, if at all, called into activity for interior defense, the people are in no danger of being broken to military subordination.
A YOUNG FAWN once said to his Mother, "You are larger than a dog, and swifter, and more used to running, and you have your horns as a defense; why, then, O Mother!

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