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 or on behalf of the party being accused or sued in a lawsuit. 6 (the defence) the counsel for the defendant in a lawsuit. 7 (in sport) the action of defending one’s goal or wicket, or the players in a team who perform this role.
Perform another search of the Compact Oxford English Dictionary
About this dictionary
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English contains 145,000 words, phrases, and definitions.
Find out more about Oxford's range of English dictionaries
Sign up for the AskOxford Word of the Day
Search the Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
Search the Concise Dictionary of First Names
| 
