defense
/dɪˈfɛns/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.93 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The action of defending or protecting from attack, danger, or injury.
American usage; Countable; Uncountable
noun
Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military.
American usage; Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "to come to someone's defense"
- "Department of Defense"
- "In fact, there is an increase in the effectiveness of the Five Cutter Offense when teams put pressure on, instead of sagging or switching in an attempt to defense the attack successfully."
- "But the Buffs’ coaching staff made some adjustments in the way they defensed the Heights’ vaunted veer-option offense, and after being bullied around for 271 yards in the first half, yielded only 140 in the second half."
- "“It was most important to start the second half right,” Tennessee coach Donnie Tyndall said. “They dug in and defensed the right way.”"
- "In the ſyege of greate cities, takyng a bygge compaſſe rounde abowte, we muſt wyth all laboure: make and intercut not farre of the citie, bꝛode and depe trenches defenſed wyth turrettes of woodde, […]"
Etymology
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /dɪˈfɛns/
- British English: /dɪˈfɛns/
Usage
- American usage
- Countable
- Uncountable
- Obsolete
- Archaic