c.1300, from Old French desfiance "challenge, declaration of war," from desfiant, present participle of desfier (see defy).
city, seat (1845) of Defiance county, northwestern Ohio, U.S., where the Auglaize and Tiffin rivers meet the Maumee, 55 miles (89 km) southwest of Toledo. Laid out in 1829, Defiance became a market for the farm produce of the Maumee valley and developed industrially after the completion of the Miami and Erie Canal (1845). Manufactures now include truck and automobile parts, roller bearings, ferrous castings, and glass fibre. Fort Defiance Historical Park marks the site of Fort Defiance (the namesake of the city and the county), built in 1794 by Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne for operations against the Indians. Fort Winchester Bridge (1936), which spans the Auglaize, commemorates the fort built in 1812 by Gen. William Henry Harrison (later U.S. president). The probable birthplace of the Ottawa chief Pontiac is nearby on the north bank of the Maumee. John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed), the orchardist, established a nursery (1828) outside of Defiance. Defiance College (1850) is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. During the annual Fort Defiance Days (August) the city hosts a hot-air balloon festival and canoe and kayak competitions. Independence Dam State Park is just northeast of the city; AuGlaize Village, 3 miles (5 km) west, is a re-creation of a 19th-century pioneer settlement. Inc. 1836. Pop. (2000) 16,465; (2005 est.) 16,150.