defence

defence
BrE, defense AmE /dI'fens/ noun
1 PROTECTING (U) the act of protecting something or someone from attack: come to sb's defence (=help someone by protecting them from attack): Several people witnessed the attack, but no one came to her defence. | in defence of: Hundreds gave their lives in defence of freedom.
—see also: self­defence
2 PROTECT A COUNTRY (U) all the systems, people, materials etc that a country uses to protect itself from attack: He's one of the President's top advisors on defense. | defence cuts/spending/budget etc: There are plans to increase defence spending by 6%.
3 defences BrE defenses AmE all the armies and weapons that are available to defend a place: The city's defenses were not strong enough to withstand the attack.
4 AGAINST CRITICISM (C, U) something that you say or do in order to protect someone or something from criticism: in sb's/sth's defence: Speaking in defence of the proposal, he pointed out how much cheaper it would be.
5 IN A LAW COURT
a) (C) the things that are said in a court of law to prove that someone is not guilty of a crime: Our defense looked pretty solid.
b) the defence all the people who are concerned with showing in a court of law that someone is not guilty of a crime: The defense's case is strong.
—compare prosecution (2)
6 AGAINST ILLNESS (C) something that your body produces naturally as a way of preventing illness: The body's immune system is its defence against infection.
7 EMOTIONS (C) something you do or a way of behaving that prevents you from being upset or seeming weak
(+ against): Dean's aggressive behaviour is his defence against depression.
8 SPORT (C) BrE the players in a game of football etc whose main job is to try to prevent the other team from getting points: Barnaby cut through the heart of Arsenal's defence.

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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  • defence — de‧fence [dɪˈfens] , defense noun [countable] 1. LAW the things that are said in a court of law to try to prove that someone is not guilty of a crime: • I am unhappy about the way my barrister is conducting my defence. 2 …   Financial and business terms

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  • defence — If a defendant contests a claim, he should prepare a defence showing his side of the argument which is then filed with the court and given to the person making a claim. If he considers that he in turn has a claim against the person who has… …   Law dictionary

  • DeFence — project. Click to enlarge deFENCE is an interactive conceptual art project for freedom of cohabitation, designed in such a way as to include each beholder personally. In tradition of Marcel Duchamp, the two main roles of this exhibit are the work …   Wikipedia

  • defence — (US defense) ► NOUN 1) the action of defending from or resisting attack. 2) military measures or resources for protecting a country. 3) (defences) fortifications against attack. 4) attempted justification or vindication. 5) the case presented by… …   English terms dictionary

  • Defence — De*fence (d[ e]*f[e^]ns ), n. & v. t. See {Defense}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • defence — see DEFENSE (Cf. defense) …   Etymology dictionary

  • defence — (Brit.) de·fence || dɪ fens n. protection, security (also defense) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • defence — is the spelling in BrE, defense in AmE …   Modern English usage

  • defence — [dē fens′, difens′] n. Brit. sp. of DEFENSE …   English World dictionary

  • defence — (BrE) (AmE defense) noun 1 action to protect sb/sth from attack ADJECTIVE ▪ adequate, effective ▪ immune, natural ▪ the body s natural defence against viruses ▪ …   Collocations dictionary

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