defensor
(dɪˈfɛnsə(r), -ɔː(r))
Forms: 4–5 defensour, (4–6 -oure, 5 -owre), 6 defencer, 6– defensor.
[ME. and AFr. defensour = OF. *defenseor, in 13th c. deffenceour, mod.F. défenseur:—L. dēfensātōr-em (Jerome), agent-n. from dēfensāre, freq. of dēfendĕre to defend. By later changes in Eng. the word is completely assimilated to L. dēfensor, agent-n. from dēfendĕre.]
† 1. A defender. Obs.
Chief Defensor of the Christian Church, a title formerly bestowed by the Pope upon individual kings, as upon Henry VII of England.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce xvii. 745 Sum of the defensouris war All dede, and othir woundit sare. c 1430 Lydg. Bochas i. xvi. (1554) 33 a, To holy churche he was chief defensour. 1509 Fabyan vii. (1533) 690. 1530 Palsgr. Introd. 10 Henry by the grace of God, kynge of Englande and of France, defensor of the faythe. 1596 Foxe's A. & M. 591/1 Any of their fautors, comforters, counsellers, or defensers. 1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. xx. 72 Chiefe Defensor of Christs Church. 1670 Famous Conclave Clement VIII 29 The only defensor and supportor of the Catholick Religion. |
2. Rom. Hist. ‘In the later period of the empire (after 365 a.d.), title of a magistrate in the provincial cities, whose chief duty was to afford protection against oppression on the part of the governor’ (Lewis & Short).
| c 1370 Wyclif Eng. Wks. (1880) 395 And saynte gregori wrote to þe defensoure of rome in þis maner. [1818 Hallam Mid. Ages (1872) I. 341 But the Defensores were also magistrates and preservers of order.] 1841 W. Spalding Italy & It. Isl. I. 112 The defensors differed in both respects. 1855 Milman Lat. Chr. (1864) II. iii. v. 45 What the defensor had been in the old municipal system. |
3. Roman Law. One who took up the defence and assumed the liability of a defendant in an action.
| 1875 Poste Gaius iv. Comm. (ed. 2) 569 A defensor may prevent a forfeiture of the stipulation. Ibid., A defensor (unauthorized representative) of the defendant gave security judicatum solvi. |
4. Eccl. An officer in charge of the temporal affairs of a church.
| [1875 Smith & Cheetham Dict. Chr. Antiq. I. 33/2 In Rome..the Defensores became by the time of Gregory the Great a regular order of officers.] 1905 F. H. Dudden Greg. Gt. I. 327 A certain defensor of the Milanese Church, named Valentinus. |
Hence deˈfensorship, the office of defensor.
| 1855 Milman Latin Chr. III. 292 The golden diadem, the insignia of the Patriciate and Defensorship of the city of Rome. |