defence
[dih-
fens
]
/dɪˈfɛns/
noun, verb (used with object)
,
defenced,
defencing.
Chiefly British
1.
defense
.
Related forms
defenceable,
adjective
defenceless,
adjective
defencelessly,
adverb
defencelessness,
noun
predefence,
noun
Examples from the web for
defence
It is a recognised nuclear weapons state and has the third or fourth highest
defence
spending in the world.
Several military laboratories and
defence
firms have worked on them since then.
But using recordings of the
defence
howls it can warn off other wolf packs and put them at bay.
Further, you state that missile
defence
is impossible.
Check on what these countries spend on
defence
compared to us.
Carrying food, forced us to become bipedal, and then carrying weapons for
defence
and hunting became an easy task.
We should have politicians who are not elected on the oil, coal, nuclear and
defence
industry lobby.
We can all fantasise, but not shout, or do anything much worse in
defence
of speculation.
If the new models are reliable, there should be no problem hanging on to the permanent at-sea presence that
defence
bosses favour.
defence
spending is qualitatively different: decisions taken today affect national security for decades to come.
British Dictionary definitions for
defence
defence
/
dɪˈfɛns
/
noun
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.
a country's military measures or resources
(
as modifier
):
defence spending
5.
(
law
) a defendant's denial of the truth of the allegations or charge against him
6.
(
law
) the defendant and his legal advisers collectively
Compare
prosecution
7.
(
sport
)
the action of protecting oneself, one's goal, or one's allotted part of the playing area against an opponent's attacks
the method of doing this
the defence,
the players in a team whose function is to do this
8.
(
American football
) (
usually preceded by the
)
the team that does not have possession of the ball
the members of a team that play in such circumstances
9.
(
psychoanal
)
See
defence mechanism
10.
(
pl
) fortifications
Derived Forms
defenceless,
(
US
)
defenseless,
adjective
defencelessly,
(
US
)
defenselessly,
adverb
defencelessness,
(
US
)
defenselessness,
noun
Word Origin
C13: from Old French, from Late Latin
dēfensum,
past participle of
dēfendere
to
defend
Word Origin and History for
defence
see
defense
.