defender
defender Lexical Profile
defender Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who protects someone or something from attack, harm, or danger, or who speaks and acts in support of a cause, principle, or right.
"She has spent her career as a tireless defender of civil liberties and environmental conservation."
In team sports such as soccer, hockey, or basketball, a player whose primary role is to prevent the opposing team from scoring.
"The central defender cleared the ball away from the goal line in the final seconds of the match."
In law, an attorney who represents the accused in a court of law (especially in the title 'public defender'), or, in Scots law, a defendant in a civil lawsuit.
"The court appointed a public defender to represent the client during the preliminary hearing."
• Rhymes for defender
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French defendour (Old French defendeor), from Latin defensor, a derivative of defendere ('to ward off, protect'), from de- ('off, away') and -fendere ('to strike').