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defend

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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionaryde·fend \di-ˈfend\ verb ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Anglo-French defendre, from Latin defendere, from de- + -fendere to strike; akin to Old English gūth battle, war, Greek theinein to strike DATE 14th centurytransitive verb1. a. to drive danger or attack away from defend our shores b. (1) to maintain or support in the face of argument or hostile criticism defend a theory (2) to prove (as a doctoral thesis) valid by answering questions in an oral exam c. to attempt to prevent an opponent from scoring at elects to defend the south goal2. archaic : prevent, forbid3. to act as attorney for4. to deny or oppose the right of a plaintiff in regard to (a suit or a wrong charged) : contest5. to retain or seek to retain (as a title or position) against a challenge in a contest they successfully defended their championshipintransitive verb1. to take action against attack or challenge2. to play or be on defense playing deep to defend against a pass3. to play against the high bidder in a card game• de·fend·able \ˈfen-də-bəl\ adjectiveSynonyms. defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack. defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack defend the country protect implies the use of something (as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure a hard hat to protect your head shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger White House entrances are well guarded safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger our civil liberties must be safeguardedSynonym: see in addition maintain.English Etymologydefend mid-13c., from O.Frhttp://O.Fr. defendre, from L. defendere "ward off, protect," from de- "from, away" + fendere "to strike, push." In the Mercian hymns, L. defendet is glossed by O.E. gescildeð.Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7☞ defendde·fend / di5fend / verbPROTECT AGAINST ATTACK 防御 1. ~ (sb / yourself / sth) (from / against sb / sth) to protect sb / sth from attack 防御；保护；保衞: ▪ [VN] All our officers are trained to defend themselves against knife attacks. 我们所有的警察都接受过自衞训练,能够对付持刀袭击。 Troops have been sent to defend the borders. 已派出部队去守衞边疆。 ▪ [V] It is impossible to defend against an all-out attack. 防御全面进攻是不可能的。 SUPPORT 支持 2. [VN] ~ sb / yourself / sth (from / against sb / sth) to say or write sth in support of sb / sth that has been criticized 辩解；辩白: Politicians are skilled at defending themselves against their critics. 从政者都善于为自己辩解,反驳别人的批评。 How can you defend such behaviour? 你怎能为这种行为辩解呢？ IN SPORT 体育运动 3. [V , VN] (in sports 体育运动) to protect your own goal to stop your opponents from scoring 防守 OPP attack IN COMPETITIONS 竞赛 4. [VN] to take part in a competition that you won the last time and try to win it again 参加衞冕赛: He is defending champion. 他在参加衞冕赛。 She will be defending her title at next month's championships. 她将在下月的锦标赛上争取蝉联冠军。 (politics 政) He intends to defend his seat in the next election. 他想在下届选举中寻求连任。 LAW 法律 5. to act as a lawyer for sb who has been charged with a crime 进行辩护；当辩护律师: ▪ [VN] He has employed six of the UK's top lawyers to defend him. 他请了英国一位顶尖律师为他辩护。 ▪ [also V] ⇨ compare prosecute (2) Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of EnglishOxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishdefend verb 1 protect against attack PREP. against PHRASES heavily defended The city was heavily defended against attack. 2 support ADV. fiercely, hotly, robustly, staunchly, stoutly, strenuously, strongly, vigorously The company has strenuously defended its decision to reduce the workforce. | publicly PREP. against She defended her department against accusations of incompetence. 3 in sport/competitions ADV. successfully PREP. against The champion successfully defended his title against the American challenger. OLTdefend verb⇨ explain 2 (defend sb's behaviour)⇨ protect (defend sth from attack)Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridgedde·fend\də̇fend, dēˈ-\ verb(-ed/-ing/-s)Etymology: Middle English defenden, from Old French defendre, from Latin defendere, from de- + -fendere to strike; akin to Old English gūth battle, war, Old High German gund-, Old Norse gunnr battle, war, Greek theinein to strike, Sanskrit hanti he strikes, killstransitive verb1. archaic : to ward or fend off : drive back or away : repel2. archaic : prevent, forbid, prohibit < which God defend that I should wring from him — Shakespeare >3. : to drive danger or attack away from : secure against attack :maintain against force : protect, guard < men defending their homes > < defend our shores >— often used with from < a floor … to defend the old woman's bones from the dampness — Ellen Glasgow >4. : to maintain against argument or hostile criticism : uphold, justify < defend a theory > < defended his friend's behavior >specifically : to prove valid (as a doctoral thesis) by answering extempore questions asked by experts in an oral examination5. : to act as attorney for (an accused person) in criminal proceedings6. : to deny or oppose the right of a plaintiff in regard to (a suit or a wrong charged) : controvert : oppose, resist < defend a claim at law >: contest < defend a suit >intransitive verb1. : to take action against attack or challenge < the defending champion > < he preferred defending to attacking >specifically : to enter or make a defense in a legal action or suit2. in card games a. : to play against the high bidder b. : to bid for the purpose of preventing an opponent from reaching an especially advantageous bidSynonyms: protect, shield, guard, safeguard: defend may imply warding off what actually threatens or repelling what actually attacks or securing against attack < to defend the settlers from the Indians > < the antitrust laws must constantly defend the ideal of industrial democracy against all sorts of pressures — T.W.Arnold > protect is somewhat wider and may imply shielding or guarding, sometimes as with a cover, from anything that might injure or destroy < cherished and nurtured to strength by his mother, he may then protect and cherish another woman in his turn — Weston La Barre > < a refuge for deer, bear, and wildcats. It is protected by a private game warden — American Guide Series: North Carolina > < the ledge-lined harbor rimmed with well-kept estates affords a protected anchorage for a large yachting fleet — American Guide Series: Connecticut > shield suggests interposition of or as of a shield, screen, or other protective intervention against attack somewhat more imminent and specific than that suggested by protect < who shielded himself from importunate callers by an impassable barrage of clerks and secretaries — W.F.Hambly > < innocent, confessing to the crime to shield the real murderer, a close friend or relative who had a wife and many children — American Guide Series: Arizona > guard implies protecting with vigilance, force, and strength < to guard the pass against attack > < secret service men guarding the president > < the accumulation of private wealth in Boston, thriftily guarded by the canny Whigs — Van Wyck Brooks > safeguard applies to any strong and careful protective measures against potential dangers and threats < the proletariat, scared by the famine and the floods of the Tiber, looked to him to safeguard their precarious livelihood and their scanty pleasures — John Buchan > < tax reforms which will bring the most revenue to the government while safeguarding the best interests of our economy and the nation's investors — G.K.Funston > < Marge safeguards the reputation of the arresting policeman by riding with him when he takes the girl to the county clink — G.S.Perry >Synonym: see in addition maintain.

Defend To Attack To Verb Danger Protect Sb